When The Tides Change
by Mistaken-Miracles
Summary: (Completed, but under revision.) Preventers learn of a new underground rebellion group, along with the arrival of a new ally. Can Heero put his feelings aside to trust this ally or will new discoveries create tension between the Gundam Pilots? Can they work together to keep the peace? Or are there too many complications to control?
1. Messages

Chapter One  
Messages

A.C. 203  
Brussels, Belgium Preventers HQ

* * *

Preventers HQ was a buzz of chaos. Over the past few weeks random encrypted messages had been coming in and only one person had been able to crack them. With no trace as to where the encrypted messages were being sent from, only little bits of information were given over the course of three weeks. Nothing fully stating anything until the very last message arrived.

Preventers had received some intel on a sleeper group, but said sleeper group hadn't been made aware. Until now. This particular group had been growing fast over the past two years. Under the radar from what the intel had suggested. Preventers didn't have as much information as Commander Une would've liked before making a move. But based on this person's anonymous information, it seemed like they needed to move and move fast. Even if there were too many unknowns going into something like this.

Une had put together a team as quickly as she could. Consisting of four out of the five ex Gundam pilots, Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang. Une also had three of her best field agents. Agent's Brown, Roberts and Watson.

Duo Maxwell was only currently working part time for the agency as he and his wife Hilde had yet to make the move to Earth. If they ever did move, Une was still more than willing to offer him the full time position she had been dangling in front of him for some time now. But for now she was happy with the team she had put together and was grateful Duo was available on such short notice. Heero had seen to it to contact him. She trusted the four young men with executing this mission with as little difficulty as possible.

The group of seven were gathered in one of the conference rooms waiting for Une to debrief them on what the mission was going to entail and any necessary actions that may need to be taken once they were actually out in the field.

There were a lot of variables going into this particular mission. It wasn't normal protocol for them to dive right into something. Especially without fully investigating it beforehand. But Heero Yuy had felt strongly about seeing this mission through till the end. Something about the whole situation had him acting strangely. Une had noticed he was on edge the minute the encrypted messages were brought to his attention. Something about the encryption codes themselves made him uneasy and he had been restless since.

It had taken them four days to assemble a team and with some help plan the mission out. Une trusted Heero's judgement and had allowed him to plan everything. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about what was told to them via this anonymous informant.

Une cleared her throat to get the groups attention once everyone had settled into their seats. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you all are aware we received some information about a possible sleeper cell. Unfortunately based on what little information we have, we're going in slightly blind."

"Correction, we are going in _completely_ blind. Why the hell are we even doing this?" Duo said aloud. Duo may have agreed to come on this mission, but he didn't receive all the information until he physically at HQ. Heero had left some of the finer details out when he placed the call to him.

Une turned slightly sending a glare in Duo's direction. "I am well aware that some of you are confused on this. Normal protocol is not to jump head first into something, but as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted." Une sent Duo one final look before she turned back to address the rest of the group. "Based on some of the information and the encryptions in which we received it, we are to believe that the information is therefore valid and requires our immediate attention. I will allow Agent Yuy to explain further." Une gestured to Heero.

Heero nodded before standing from his seat. The group swung their eyes to him waiting to hear what he had to say about this "mission."

"While it is true we have little to go on other than the fact this group has been flying under the radar for some time now." His monotone voice conveying nothing of his own personal feelings. "The last two years this group has been rapidly growing in numbers. Not to mention the illegal trade of weapons and metals. We are unsure of what they plan to do or build and our informant didn't divulge that information to us. What was stated clearly was that they were planning something."

Heero's eyes swept over the room. Glancing at everyone making sure he still held their attentions. "Based on the encrypted messages..." Heero trailed off trying to put his words together. "This is not something we should just sweep under the rug. There's a chance for us to gather more information on this group and possibly be able to take them down quicker. As long as we can complete our mission to infiltrate this compound, securing all data and personnel on site, we should have an upper hand. Understood?" Heero watched as the group of agents nodded their understandings. But one in particular couldn't help but open his mouth.

"So we're doing this based on some hunch you have about these "encryptions?'" Duo asked as he leaned back in his seat. Eyeing Heero carefully.

Heero cringed inwardly. He hadn't told Une why he felt so strongly about the encryptions and why he felt the information was believable. They normally checked into anything that could potentially become a fire, but this time it was more personal to Heero. The _encrypted coding_ for the messages he'd know anywhere. He also knew who it could've possibly sent them. There was a small side of him that did had doubts, but the codes that were used hadn't been used since his training days. There was no mistaking the codes themselves though. Whoever set the information wanted him to see it. Something that didn't sit well with him and by going on this mission he hoped to find the answers to his questions.

Regaining himself as he glanced at Duo. "Like I said Maxwell, based on the messages I believe the information is worth looking into." Heero kept his face impassive and his voice stern as he spoke. He couldn't let them know anything about his "hunch" just yet. Especially Duo. He'd hound him till he got the information.

Duo rolled his eyes. "I call bullshit dude. You know something and you're not sharing." Duo pouted at the end hoping to get something from his comrade.

Heero ignored Duo's comment as he sat back down. Allowing Une to continue with what the mission would intel. "Thank you Agent Yuy. While we don't have much information it's never stopped us in the past on completely a mission and preventing more fires from spreading. I want you to split up into two teams. Now I am aware that there is an odd number of you. I'm requesting that Agent Brown stay behind to be your eyes and ears while you enter the compound. Understood Brown?"

Charles Brown nodded his head. "I won't let you guys down." He was one of the best at his job. Brown was the eyes and ears for many of their missions. His hacking skills had improved over the last few years thanks to Heero's training. Heero knew having someone to guide them during certain missions was crucial when it came to either succeeding or failing.

"Fastest routes in and out, Brown. We'll all be connected via commlinks for this mission." Heero spoke to Agent Brown and the rest of the group.

Everyone nodded once and listened to the rest of what Une had to say. Duo just kept his eyes on Heero. He knew something was going on but couldn't figure out what it was. He caught Trowa's eye and a thought passed between them. Even Trowa knew something wasn't quite right with Heero. Wufei had yet to open his eyes so to Duo, he was useless in this little mental chat. But he suspected he knew something was going on as well.

Une continued on with the debriefing. "Agents Yuy, Barton and Roberts will be our infiltrate team. I want you guys in and out. Gather as much information as you can. Anyone you come across apprehend them for questioning. As for Agents Chang, Maxwell and Watson, I want you as back up and monitoring the situation from the outside."

"Ah! C'mon Une, can't I get any kind of action!?" Duo groaned. He was hoping for _some kind_ of action. But patrol duty was not it.

"Maxwell, there will be plenty of action. You'll need to stop anyone fleeing the compound along with disarming any bombs that may be around the outer walls of the building. They may plan to try and destroy any and all information obtaining to their group. You will need to keep your eyes open. They could have traps set up inside the facility as well." Une spoke sternly to Duo.

Duo waved it off. "So clean up crew. Got it. Don't let the others get blown up."

Heero rolled his eyes. This wasn't the time to be playing games. They had the layout of the facility and possible places where any number of explosives could be placed. They still needed Brown to infiltrate the system to secure the best point of entry and exit, as well as disable any security systems in place. "We have a layout of where these "bombs" may be planted." Heero stated.

"So, we're _still_ going in blind?" Duo question again.

"Maxwell shut it. We'll deal with things as they arise and handle them the way we need to handle them." Wufei for the first time made eye contact with Duo. His tone was harsh but Duo saw something in his black onyx eyes. Duo quickly shut his mouth.

Sighing Une decided it was time to end the meeting. They could work on things once in flight to Russia. "I believe you all could figure out the finer details to this one while you're on your way there. I trust in each of you to do your best and complete the mission. You will be leaving at 1900 today. A backup team will also be sent along with Agent Po to assist with any injuries, should they occur. Also you _will_ report back to me with your findings as soon as everything is over." Une turned her stern brown eyes onto Heero. "Dismissed."

Une stood up first. Gathering her thing before she quickly made her exit from the conference room. She was relying heavily on what Heero had briefly said to her. The encryption coding used to send the messages were familiar to him. That much she knew. She didn't doubt that they were from his days with Doctor J. But whatever the case was she was putting her full trust and faith in him. She'd be lying to herself if she wasn't a little worried about this particular mission. Whoever this group was they were up to something but that something wasn't known. Une hoped her team could pull this off and gather the much needed information they needed to put a stop to them before it got to be too late.

* * *

The rest of the group sat gathered around the conference table. Some assumed they were still there to finish discussing the upcoming mission. Heero was the first to stand up and gather his things. "You all know your jobs. I suggest you return to your regular duties for the remainder of the day while also preparing for tonight." Heero's dark blue eyes looked up to address Brown. "Brown, I want you to go over the blueprints that were provided and plan ahead. We won't fully know what we're getting into until we enter the compound."

"Roger that sir." Brown said as he stood. Gathering his belongings he briefly nodded to everyone before leaving the room.

Duo who had been quite for some time now decided to ask his most thought of question. "So… you gonna actually tell us why we're going into this mission blind as a bat?" As he leaned back in his chair, setting his feet upon the table. With his hands behind his head, he gave Heero sidelong glance. "Or are you gonna play dumb about it?"

Heero shot him a look. Narrowing his eyes at his braided comrade. "It's not like we've never done this. It's not the first nor will it be the last time we go into something just as blind." He resorted back, anger lacing his words.

"That may be true, but _you're_ not telling us everything. What's so special about these 'encryptions' that has you jumping the gun so quickly?" Duo shot back, point a finger at him.

Trowa and Wufei both turned to look at Heero, while Roberts and Watson gathered their things making a quick exit. They knew the conversation wasn't intended for thier ears. Even if they were highly curious as well.

Heero clenched his jaw, trying to keep the tick out of his eye. Maxwell was pushing him to his limits. He had already been stressed enough over it. The coding was _too familiar_ for his liking. He just needed to get through this mission then sort things out after.

"Well?" Duo asked, quirking his eyebrow. Heero simply grunted before turning on his heel to leave. He didn't feel like explaining himself.

Once Heero had left the conference room, Duo turned to Trowa and Wufei who had stayed to see how the conversation would turn out. "You know he's hiding something. It's blantely obvious that he's hiding _something_." Dragging out the last word.

"That may be true Duo, but you know just as much as the rest of us that Heero isn't going to say anything until he's hundred percent sure of it." Trowa calmly spoke as he stood to leave. Duo dropped his feet from the table and crossed his arms over his chest. Giving the impression of a small child who was just told "no".

"Just let it go for now Maxwell. Go prep for tonight, or whatever you do instead of _actually_ working" Wufei said as he walked out of the room following Trowa.

Duo rolled his eyes. "I'll get to the bottom of this, with or without you guys." He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before leaving the room. _I'll figure out what is going on with Yuy. He can't hide everything from me._ A wicked grin crept onto Duo's face, his violet eyes twinkled as he continued to muse over his plans to extract the information from Heero.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Welcome to When The Tides Change! This story is rate M for mature content.  
This story is going to be long, just a heads up. But if you're a fan of the longer stories I hope you enjoy this one!  
There is much more to come and I hope you all will enjoy it!_

-MM


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **The Mission**

The group had gathered on the rooftop of Preventers HQ. They were taking three helicopters for the mission. It would be close to a four hour flight but they wanted to be in and out as fast as they could. Given the time of day, they'd be arriving around 2300. The night mission would make things slightly easier to infiltrate the compound, using the dark of night to cover them.

Sally Po had brought along a small team. Two of her assistants who were not only trained as medics but also trained in field work would be accompanying her. The three of them could provide backup if needed for the group while also assisting any injuries, if any were to occur. Sally nodded to the group of ex pilots as she continued to get her supplies ready.

Heero knew Sally had been informed on everything and that she and her team would stay back unless they were needed. He trusted her judgement even if he didn't trust her to look at every little cut he or the others got. He thought maybe she enjoyed poking and prodding them a little too much. Though they did quite often give her a hard time about not needing any medical treatment.

Heero checked on the group, making sure each person had the necessary equipment needed to succeed. They may of been overdoing it with the amount of weapons one was carrying but Heero didn't want to take any chances. He made sure his men were outfitted with bulletproof vest, handguns and assault rifles. Along with some smoke and flash grenades. Each had zip ties incase they came across anyone they could take in for questioning along with extra ammo. Duo had tried to insist that they needed some kind of explosives of their own, but Heero was quick to remind him that the compound may have some and they needed to deactivate any that they came across. Once satisfied that his men and comrades were ready to go, he gave the signal for them to board their respective helicopters and move out.

* * *

The ride to the outskirts of Russia where this "compound" was located, went uneventful. Heero had Agent Charles Brown working hard to get them close enough to the compound without being heard or seen. They'd have to travel on foot but once in they could have the helicopters come closer. Agent Brown was to stay behind, as he would be using GPS to navigate the rest of the agents to and into the compound. As well as direct them to their locations, once inside.

Barton, Roberts, and himself were going to infiltrate the compound. Trowa was to head straight for the control room and gather as much information as possible. Heero and Roberts were to look for anyone to take back for questioning along with any detonators they found. Trowa had his work cut out for him, but Heero knew he could get the task completed. It also allowed Heero the chance to look around. He had a feeling about something but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Chang, Maxwell, and Watson would be working on the outside, disarming anything that might happen to "pop" up. Both Wufei and Duo weren't thrilled at the idea of not being able to go inside the compound but Watson seemed overjoyed to be apart of the mission. While the two grumbled about it, Heero reminded them that they needed them on the outside. If something should arise he needed them close by to come in and help.

It shut them up for a little while till they started making the treck to the actual location of the compound. The group in all black combat gear would only be walking for about a half hour, if they kept their pace up and Brown's directions were correct. They had landed in a field, a little less than a mile away from their target location. The woods surrounding them gave enough coverage and with the light from the moon to see where they were going. Gathering their weapons, the group headed out.

They had only been walking for a short amount of time, as Heero was going over the mission parameters in his head when Duo's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Man. We fly almost four hours to have to walk for what? Half hour, 45 minutes to some location. With _NO_ idea what we're actually getting into then you want us to hang around outside while you have all the fun!?" Duo threw up his hands, sighing dramatically.

Heero glanced back at Duo, glaring at him as he spoke. "Shut it Maxwell. If you didn't want to come you shouldn't of accepted the mission. Get your head out of your ass and focus on what we need to do, not _what we want to do_." Emphasizing the last few words for good measure.

Duo held up his hands "Sheeh man, I get it. Don't need to be a dick about it." Heero's glare darkened slightly. "Yah yah, I'll shut up for now. I see you're not in the _mood_ for anything Mr. I got a stick up my…."

"Duo, I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you. Better to keep your mouth shut. We're getting closer and we should be listening and watching for anything." Trowa spoke as they continued along the route Brown had been guiding them through.

Sure enough, not even 15 minutes later the group had arrived at the… "This is the compound? It's a fucking abandoned air base!? There's nobody even fucking here!" Duo's voice rose, practically yelling.

Heero grunted, he wasn't pleased by this either. From where they stood they couldn't see anybody. No guards or cameras were visible. The base was slightly overgrown with tall grass and weeds everywhere. The runways looked like they hadn't been used for some time and the building itself looked like it was falling apart from the outside. While it was small for an air base, it could have once been used as a small private airspace. There were two hangers off to the left of the larger building which they assumed was the main part of the whole base, most likely housing the control room in the main part of the tower. The hangers looked to be empty and falling apart. One of the roofs was caved in on itself and the other looked like it was on it's way. The main building itself had chunks of cement missing off the siding and the roof didn't look great from where they were standing on the ever edge of the tree line. Some of the glass at the top of the building was broken, no lights could been seen at the top of the building but there was one outside light they could see from where they stood but nothing else. The building still had power, that was the only clue they had that it was possibly still in use.

"Barton, scan the area and see if you can find anything." Heero looked over to Trowa who nodded before stepping away with a pair of binoculars.

Heero turned back to the base. Tapping his ear pieces to connect him with Agent Brown. "Brown are you sure this is the location?"

After a few seconds Brown came over the commlink. "Yes, according to the blueprints and location coordinates this is the place. Sir."

"Hm. Can you get us inside?"

"Hang on a second Sir, I'm pulling up their system now."

"Roger that." Heero continued to stare at the building. He didn't like the feeling he was getting, but he tried to ignore it.

"You gotta be kidding me here." Duo looked to Heero. Heero just simply shrugged his shoulders. He didn't even look at the location of the coordinates. He was too caught up in trying to figure out _who_ sent the messages to them in the first place.

"Sir?" Brown's voice came through his earpiece.

"Go ahead Brown."

"Uh, this is the location. I was able to hack into their system but it seems they're busy moving files around and possibly doing something else. Their network is tight but there's definitely something going on." Brown's voice coming over their earpieces uneasy.

Heero looked up as Trowa approached him. Shaking his head to indicate he didn't see anything. "Shit." Heero muttered. Looking at the rest of the group as everyone was listening in on the conversation. "We need to move fast." Heero addressed everyone. "Brown get us in and direct us."

"Roger that sir!"

Heero looked to Wufei. "Take your team and start heading around the outside.."

Agent Brown's voice broke through. "Security system deactivated. You have three minutes to get inside before it's turned back on. We'll be lifting off in ten minutes to rendezvous with you sir."

Wufei spoke first. "Our window is small, if they're already getting ready to move we need to move now. You have less than three minutes to enter the base's main building before your noticed."

Trowa nodded his head, turning on his heel, he started running towards the main building. Roberts following close behind. Heero turned back before taking off as well. It was risky being out in the open but they didn't have any other choice, things were going downhill and going downhill fast.

Sally turned to Wufei and Duo, "Go, stay close. I have a bad feeling about this. Take the front side of the building. My team and myself will head up the rear of the building. There's six of us so we'll need to look around fast. Raido if you find anything."

Everyone nodded their agreement before taking off. What they were looking for was beyond them. But they all did agree, something wasn't right. Did this group know they were coming? Or were they too late to gather any information about them?

* * *

A slender figure moved about the compound, dressed in all black with a hood pulled over their head obscuring their face. They gave off the impression of moving around like a ghost, which is just what they wanted. They were nothing more than just that, a _ghost_. Going from one room to another. Taking out whoever was in the way, but not killing anyone. No, there was no need for that. Chances were these people were probably going to die anyway. The shadow figure knew bombs were set up around and in the compound itself. The group of people working at this particular place were planning to leave tonight, destroying any trace of them ever being there. To hide any secrets that were being kept at this run down place.

 _But that's why I'm here_. The figured said to itself. No it wasn't glamorous, but something needed to be done. To help protect the world from the horrors this group was going to inflict upon millions of innocent people, not just on Earth but in the Colonies as well. Along with the fact that this particular person was guilty of helping them to do so. Shaking it's head, trying clear any thoughts of the past before moving on.

Moving swiftly through the hallways, it was a little unnerving just how many people weren't there. _There should be more guards stationed here. Why are there so little?_ The figure questioned. _I need to get to the control room and gather as much information as possible. They're changing their game plan and I'm starting to fear they may make a move sooner than expected._

Finally the shadow made it to the control room of the base, with no resistance from the guards. "I hope you're not the real soldiers they plan to send out. You're far too weak." Spoken with no emotion in their voice, as the shadow stepped over the two remaining guards, entering the control room. Within minutes the task was done and the person left, heading in the opposite direction that they had come from. The shadow continued to running down the hallway making a left turn. That turn, turned out to be the wrong move.

Gun fire rang down on the shadow, hitting it's right shoulder. The shadow backed away rounding the corner again. Taking a deep breath, they raised their own gun turning the corner slightly while taking aim. The two guards falling to the ground together. The shadow moved more around the corner checking to make sure no other guards were waiting. _That was too close. I need to leave now or I won't make it out of here alive._ Gritting their teeth while grabbing their right shoulder, the figured continued on down the hall once again, in hopes they could make it out with the data they had collected.

* * *

Heero, Trowa and Roberts ran across the air strip to the base's main entrance. As they ran they noticed no one had come outside yet. Nor did it look like anyone was coming. They had a three minute window to enter from one of the doors and since they came in on the front side of the building, it was easier to walk right through the front door.

Heero and Trowa exchanged glances at one another as they ran. Something wasn't right. Trowa had confirmed he didn't see anything but as they reached the main door of the building they saw why. Two guards lay on the ground in a heap. The three stopped to take note. Both guards were still alive but they were knocked out. Most likely from a hit to a pressure point in the necks.

Roberts spoke up before they made to move inside the building. "Someone must of gotten here before us….but who?"

Heero grunted a "hm" and made his way to the door. Someone was definitely here and still possibly inside. He planned to find out who.

Once all three were inside, guns drawn as they slowly started making their way down the corridor. Heero stopped them at the end. "Barton you know what you need to do. Follow Brown's directions to the control room and gather whatever you can. Then get the hell out of here. Don't wait. Same goes to you Roberts. Quickly search the area as fast as you can. Take anyone who may be left then get out of here."

Roberts nodded then turned right, heading down another hallway, checking rooms as he went. Trowa was about to questions Heero's instructions but thought better when he saw a strange look in the ex pilots eyes. He nodded before he tapped his earpiece to get the directions to the control room. The two parted ways, both with their own missions.

While the outside of the building looked like the place was falling apart, the inside looked to be well kept. The hallways and rooms were clean, everything painted white and the lighting made everything brighter than it should be. For a run down place it was obvious that someone has been occupying the place. Heero observed that it looked like some people had packed up and left in a hurry at one point. Some rooms still had personal belongings while other had nothing. He had made quick work moving through the base and had already disabled two bombs that he found, but what he couldn't understand was why all the guards he had come into contact with were already taken care of, but all were still alive. Heero shook his head again, he needed to continue on. Even if none of it made sense, he knew he needed to stay alert.

* * *

Agent Brown had gotten Trowa to the control room without any issues. None in fact. All the people Trowa had come across were already taken care of for him. He had even questioned Heero and Roberts about it. Both had confirmed they had yet to come across someone who wasn't already unconscious. There wasn't many people in the building guessing by the number count of guards all three had been keeping track of.

Once inside the control room Trowa noticed the two guards lying on the floor. He also noticed some of the files were open already on the computers around the room. Standing in front of one, it appeared that someone was trying to do the same thing as he was. They had already broken in and stole the data. Trowa wasn't going to question it anymore, as he needed to collect the same data and with the computer system already unlocked it made his job easier.

Slipping his hand into his Preventers black combat jacket, he withdrew a small data stick. As he was about to put the stick into the computer's USB port a rumble sounded from somewhere in the building. Freezing his movements he listened again to see if another one would happen. Not even a moment later another rumble sounded but this one sounded closer. It didn't take long before a third one sounded and Heero's voice came over the earpiece. "Get out now! They've started to dentoated the remaining bombs!"

Trowa knew he didn't have time to gather the information, but they needed it. He quickly inserted the data stick into the computer and started to download as much information as he could. Even if he had to stop short, something was better than nothing. More blast could be heard throughout the building. He knew he was running out of time but there was only 30 percent left to download. Another blast sounded closer to the control room and as Trowa turned his head back to the computer it finally read 100 percent. Taking the data stick out and shoving it back into his pocket he made his exit. He couldn't grab the two guards on his way out, but he bowed his head as he left. It was wrong but he needed to leave.

He turned to his left, the original way he had came in and saw that it was being blocked by fallen debris down the hallway. He had no choice but to turn to his right. Praying he'd find a way out. He ran to the end of the corridor, making a left turn. He stopped when he noticed two more guards but this time they had bullet wounds to the chest and head. He turned his head back and noticed blood from the possible shooter. He decided maybe following this trail would lead to either an exit or the shooter who may of been the one to enter the control room before him.

* * *

Heero had been running through the building looking for anyone who wasn't already unconscious. So far he had only come into contact with eight people, none of which were awake. But with the situation turning worse as the minutes ticked on, he had no choice but to leave the men where they lay. They hadn't been in the building that long before the first bomb detonated. It seemed like the blast were coming from random locations. Heero had made his way down into the few lower levels on the building which mainly housed offices and storage rooms. He had almost made it to the basement level, or what he assumed was the basement when a blast sounded from behind the door. Heero didn't think twice as he turned around making his way back the way he had come from. He knew he had gotten enough of the other explosives to hopefully secure a route out of the building. As he continued to run he heard most blast sounding throughout the building. He had radioed to everyone to get out. Everyone had radioed back to confirm they had heard him. But since then, the channel in which they were using had been silent.

* * *

Trowa continued on, moving swiftly through the halls. Turing were he could see the blood on the floor. On the last turn he stopped dead in his tracks. There laying slightly covered by a piece of the ceiling that had fallen in one of the blast lay a small figure in all black. Something was off about the person. They didn't match the other guards that he had seen. The clothing was different. The guards he had seen were wearing a military green uniform. And from what Trowa could see their face was covered by the hood from their jacket. None of the guards he saw had hoods.

Slowly he approached, almost drawn to the person. He lowered himself to his knees and began to push the piece of ceiling that was on the mysterious person. He wasn't even sure if they were still alive, but something was telling him to check. To _look_ at this person. After moving the piece of fallen debris he released something about the person laying on the ground. The body was small. If it was a male, he was on the shorter side. But for a female… the body would suit that of a woman better than man. Trowa reached out a hand and slowly slide the hood away from their face.

The first thing Trowa noticed was the angel like face that was revealed. Soft features, high cheekbones, jawline set perfectly. Not a scare on the perfect skin. Something about the face was familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. As his eyes traveled up the face he noticed the hair. Chocolate brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, tumbling out of the hood and onto the floor. It was a female without a doubt. Trowa breath caught in his throat as he fully took in her face and hair. She was beautiful. _Why would someone like her be in a place like this?_ He was about to check to see if she was still alive when her eyes snapped opened.

* * *

Duo and Wufei were running around the outside of the building trying to find anyone who was trying to escape. They had thought they heard something from inside the building, but it wasn't until Heero had radioed for everyone to get out that their suspicions were confirmed. With the helps of Sally's team they were able to split up again, searching for anyone who might be leaving in a hurry.

Duo gritted his teeth as he heard more blast coming from inside the building. "Where the hell are they!?"

"Keep your eyes sharp Maxwell." Wufei said from a few feet away.

"I am! But where the hell are Barton, Roberts and Yuy?"

"They'll make it out, just keep your eyes out for someone other than them."

Duo was about to say something when Wufei started heading closer to the building. "Like him." Wufei said as he took off to apprehend a guy who was running towards them.

"Yeah like him…" Duo said as he followed behind. _You guys better start moving, before this whole place blows._

* * *

 _This may of been another short chapter. Sorry! But I can tell you all, stuff is about to get good, oh so good! Posting a day early since I will be busy tomorrow, but I hope everyone has a great Sunday! Or whenever you're reading this, have a great day :)._

 _-MM_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **The Encounter**

Trowa's eyes went wide as he watched her quickly sit up, pushing herself away from him. Leveling him with the handgun in her left hand that he had somehow missed. He had willed himself to meet her eyes again, to confirm what he had just seen. _Those eyes, they're just like…_

Prussian Blue eyes met Emerald Green eyes, as they locked onto each other's gaze.

Trowa's eyes were still wide as his breath left him once again. Dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, facial features that were so similar. It was unmistakable, she looked just like _him_. He watched as her eyes narrowed. A flash of something passed through them before he saw the gun waver in her hand. "You…" was all she said before she fell unconscious again, the gun falling to the ground.

Another blast sounded from somewhere in the building. Shaking his head, Trowa tried to clear his mind from what had just happened. Looking at the girl again, he made the decision. Moving quickly to scoop her up into his arms, he tapped his earpiece.

* * *

Everyone had made it outside and away from the main building. Wufei, Duo, and Watson had made it safely away, along with Sally's team. They were able to stop the explosives from going off on the outside of the building. But the group of rebels had made sure to plant plenty inside the main building itself. They wanted to completely destroy any trace they had been occupying the place.

Everyone was standing 500 yards away on the rundown airstrip, where the helicopters were preparing to take off. There had been no point in staying. Local authorities had been called to put out the fire and to inform them of the situation. Heero had already made sure Agent Brown contacted HQ to send a cleanup crew as well. As far as he was concerned their part in the mission was done. He was angry, he hadn't found anything that was of good evidence. Nothing he saw was going to explain _who_ may of sent the encrypted messages.

Putting his anger aside for a moment, Heero looked around counting everyone along with the few people from the base they were able to apprehend. It looked like a few were trying to get out and they just happen to run into the wrong people. Heero didn't think the people that were stationed here were well trained. The few they did manage to apprehend didn't put up too much of a fight. Or they were too scared out of their minds to, since the base was exploding around them. The rest would unfortunately burn along with the wasn't much he or anyone else could do to save them. But as Heero glanced around he realized someone was missing.

Heero turned to Roberts, who was only a few feet away from him. "Where's Barton?"

Roberts turned shaking his head. Heero gritted his teeth and turned back to face the building about to make a run for it, when a final explosion erupted. Engulfing the rest of the building in flames. Heero's eyes grew wide before he spotted a figure running towards them.

Trowa ran as he carried the girl in his arms. Brown had gotten him out just in time as a final blast sounded behind him. He tightened his hold on her as he continued to make his way, away from the burning building. He had noticed that she had a gunshot wound to her right shoulder along with some cuts and one to her head. She most likely had a concussion and was probably banged up pretty good, from what he could tell. He just hoped nothing else was seriously wrong with her. He wanted the chance to speak with her, but in reality, he _needed_ the chance to speak with her.

Trowa ran by Duo and Wufei who were loading the four men they had apprehended into one of the helicopters. Making his way to Sally he didn't even pause to look at Heero as he ran by. The only thing on his mind was that he needed to get her to Sally before it was too late.

Trowa approach Sally who had been watching him make his way to her. Slightly winded from the whole ordeal he tried to speak quickly and quietly to her. "She needs medical attention. Gunshot wound to the right shoulder. Looks like it was a clean shot., along with a cut to her head and possible concussion."

Sally looked at him before speaking. "Trowa are you alright? You look a little pale. You're not hurt are you?" there was a hint of worry in her voice.

Trowa shook his head. "I'm fine. Just help her." He lifted his arms to adjust the girl. "I also need you to look into something…" he spoke quickly.

Sally arched a brow at him but gestured for him to place the girl down on the floor of the copper. Sally quickly climb in after him and started to examine the girl. She noticed right away that the girl looked a lot like someone she knew and someone she knew very well. But this girl looked slightly different. Pushing the thoughts aside she continued to look over her. Checking her wounds to make sure there wasn't anything else that was life threatening at the moment.

Trowa had stayed by the girl's side the entire time Sally was examining her and Sally couldn't help but ask. "Why is this girl so important? You found her inside the building? Am I to assume she works for this group?"

Trowa shook his head. "I don't know if she works for them or what the case is. But she was in there and…." he trailed off as he watched Sally grab a small flashlight to check the girl's eyes.

Sally opened one eyelid and shined the light over the girl's eye. She gasp as the light fell from her hand and landed on the floor next to the girl's head. Sally immediately snapping her head up to look at Trowa. There was only one other person she had ever met who had those same eyes.

Trowa nodded, "I need you to look into something once we get back to HQ. I'm sure you understand why now?" He looked back down at the girl.

Sally just gaped at him. She didn't know what to say to him. She was too much in shock over what this could all possibly mean. She had a suspicion but was this even possible? Who was this girl and why did she looked just like… Nodding her head slowly she decided to change the subject back to what needed to be done to keep this girl alive. "Her shoulder is still bleeding, we need to apply pressure...could you possibly do that? I want to make sure she makes it back to HQ…."

Trowa reached over and grabbed some gauze and started to apply pressure to the bleeding wound on her shoulder. _Who are you?_ As he continued gaze down at the unconscious girl.

* * *

Heero had watched as Trowa ran by without so much as a glance or a word to him. He noticed that he was carrying a female in his arms and had turned to watch as he made

his way to Sally. Heero had been watching the whole time while Trowa spoke with Sally. He narrowed his dark blue eyes after Sally dropped the small flashlight and looked at Trowa. There was just _something_ about the girl, the nagging voice was back, taunting him as he looked on for another moment.

Turning his head, Heero checked on the rest of the agents. Everyone was ready to go from what he observed. Trowa was going to go with Sally and her team, so that meant Heero was stuck with his own thoughts for the ride back. He would question both of them once they got back to HQ. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he climbed into the last chopper and signaled for them to leave. It was going to be a long four hours back, not the mention at the last second Duo decided to trade places with Roberts and ride back with Heero.

* * *

Once they had arrived back at Preventers HQ, Heero watched as Sally, her team and Trowa exited their chopper. Trowa once again carrying the girl, as they rushed back into the building. They were no doubt heading to the Medical Facility located on the lower levels of HQ.

Duo had still been trying to talk to him, but he was ranting on about the move to Earth with Hilde. Heero just continued to tune him out, but now once again Duo was standing next to him on the helicopter landing pad, talking about some ridiculous idea about how they should buy houses near each other so they could be neighbors.

Heero turned his head to face Duo, glaring at him and willing him to leave him alone. But Duo seemed to not care or just not notice. Finally he had had enough. "Maxwell, why don't you go help Watson and Roberts with the men we apprehended?"

Duo stopped talking to just look at Heero, one eyebrow quirked. "Seriously? We only managed to grab four guys. Two of which are hurting pretty bad. Took a pretty nasty punch to the face by the looks of it."

Heero just grunted something unintelligent. He was trying not to roll his eyes. A habit he had picked up from a certain _someone_. "Just go do your damn job, Duo." Heero spoke as he stepped away from him and walked to the door that would lead him into the building.

"Geez man...ugh why do I bother. He's been moody even more lately. He probably needs to get laid or something." Duo said aloud while shrugging his shoulders.

"I wouldn't push your luck Maxwell. Heero's been moody yes, but something about this whole mission has had him on edge since the intel came in." Wufei said while walking up to him. "Best to leave him alone for now. Whatever is going on we'll find out soon enough. Now go do your damn job and get those idiots inside and into some interrogation rooms."

"Not you too Wu-ie." Duo put on his best pout. "And where are you going anyway? You could help too, you know!"

Duo's words fell on deaf ears as Wufei continued walking away to the same door Heero had just entered. Sighing Duo turned to go help Watson and Roberts. At least he could maybe help integrate them. _That'd be fun_ he thought to himself smirking as he aprochaced the four men they had apprehended.

* * *

Heero made his way through HQ. He wanted to go speak with Trowa about the girl he had found. Taking the stairs down a few floors, Heero decided to enter one of the hallways and just take the elevator down the rest of the way to the medical facility where he knew he'd find Trowa. Walking down the hallway toward the elevators he saw the one person he didn't want to see at that very moment.

Commander Une had just stepped off the elevator along with another Preventer Agent. They were speaking quietly when she looked up and noticed Heero walking towards them. She quickly ended her conversation and turned to Heero as he approached. "Agent Yuy, glad to see you back so soon. Was the mission a success?" Une asked a hint of amusement in her voice.

"As well as we'd hoped it would go. I'm sure Brown informed you of what happened?" Heero replied in a flat voice.

Une lifted a brow as she regarded him. He may of been acting normal but he looked anything but. "Yes Agent Brown did inform me. You were able to apprehend at least four rebels. Along with no casualties to our side."

"Hm." Heero nodded.

"Good. I am to assume they are being brought in for interrogation?" Une brow still lifted as she tried to figure out what was off about him.

"Yes."

"Good. Then I expect a full report tomorrow on the mission and any information they give us."

"I'll let Chang and Maxwell know." Heero responded back.

"While I appreciate that, I do _expect_ you to be there to also interrogate them. This was _your_ mission after all. I expect you to fulfill your duty as the lead on this and as an agent." Une said sternly.

Heero's eyes grew wide for a moment, but he couldn't fight Une on this. It was his persistence that got her to even give the green light on the mission. While he knew she understood the importances of why he wanted to act so quickly. Une on the other hand was willing to wait for a little more information before moving in.

"Understood." Was all he could say to her.

Une nodded her head. "Very good Yuy. I expect that information ASAP. Call if anything should come up." She turned away from him before he could even respond.

Heero knew everyone was tired and Une probably had been at HQ all night waiting to hear about the mission. He knew he couldn't get out of this and decided it was probably best to get the interrogations over and out of the way. Then he could go and see Trowa. Or even the girl that was brought in. Stepping into the elevator, Heero realized one thing. Une had not mentioned the girl. Which meant at the moment, she didn't even know they had found a fifth person.

* * *

Down in Preventers Medical Facility, Trowa paced the waiting area of the small lobby. They had rushed down here before Sally took the girl into one of the OR's. From what they could tell it was a clean shot through her shoulder, but Sally wanted to make sure the muscles inside would heal properly and to make sure the bullet didn't do any damage to the surrounding bone. Almost two hours later, Sally had finally come out into the lobby area. Trowa had stopped pacing to sit but he immediately jumped to his feet the second he saw her.

"Is she okay?" Was the first thing he asked.

Sally nodded her head. "Lucky girl, the shot was clean, no damage to the bones. I think she'll make a full recovery. She has a concussion and some bruises and cuts to her body, but nothing major. She lost some blood but nothing a few days of rest shouldn't be able to fix."

Trowa let out a breath and a small smile formed on his lips, but slowly the smile disappeared as Sally continued. "I did take some blood samples and ran a few scans... I think you should come take a look for yourself."

Trowa was about to speak when Sally shook her head. "Just come look before you start asking questions and jumping to conclusions."

Sally lead the way, out of the lobby and back deeper into the medical ward. Trowa was half expecting to be bought to her office or to the girls room at the very least but Sally lead him to a lab that was down one floor and at the end of the hallway. Once inside Trowa's eyes went wide and he felt his anger starting to build.

"Why is she strapped down!?" Turning sharply to look Sally in the eyes. "Why the fuck is she strapped down!?" He seethed through his clenched teeth.

Sally put up her hands "She's still unconscious at the moment but I want you to see the results we have so far. It's for her own good, and our own good if she's restrained." Shaking her head _I've already been through this once, with someone else._

Trowa's eyes burned with rage. He couldn't believe Sally had this girl restrained for any reason.

"Trowa, if you give me a few minutes to explain, I'm sure it would clear the air and you'd agree this is the best for us and her." Sally gustard towards the girl. "To be honest this isn't the first time I've had to do this to _someone_." Sally walked over to a desk, waving Trowa over to join her. Sitting down in front of her computer she started to pull up charts and files on the results that she had so far. Starting with what looked like to be a basic chart of the patient's health. Sally quickly went over it.

"Over all she's healthy. Her shoulder should heal with time and her head didn't sustain too much damage. A mild concussion. I would be surprises, but in this case I'm not. Her body has seen more damage in the past, than what it's going through now. Based on what I see, she'll be healed within a month tops." Sighing she continued on. "Her muscle mass is incredible for someone her size. But yet you'd never know. She's toned but not overly toned. She's probably spent years training to get where she is." Sally glanced over her shoulder to check to see if she should continue.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Trowa questioned but part of him already knew the answer.

Sally could tell by looking at him, he already knew. Within the short amount of time they had been in the company of this girl, there was no doubt who she could be related to. There was only one person. "I know you're aware of whom she looks like... I can't even deny the resemblance so I've ordered a DNA test to be done along with a few other tests."

"What other test did you order?" Trowa questioned while reading through the preliminary reports of the girl.

"I want to know if her DNA was manipulated in any way…" Sally spoke softly while turning her head to face Trowa who was leaning over her right shoulder. "If my gut is right, chances are she's been genetically enhanced just like Heero is. But to what extent I won't know till the test come back. It should take a few more hours till they come in. From there we can try and figure this all out. Along with who she is and why she's here. But some of that information we'll have to ask her directly." Sally turned back, looking over the computer to the girl lying on the table. Her eyes softening slightly. "Poor thing, who knows what she's been through."

Sally had always somewhat felt sorry for Heero in some ways when it came to his body. He was enhanced and trained to be the perfect weapon. _The Perfect Soldier_. She could only imagine what this girl went through. But one question plagued her. "If Heero had a sister why hadn't he said anything to anyone about it?"

"Heero doesn't have a sister. From what I understand he was an only child. My guess is either he doesn't know he had one or she's a clone." Trowa winced at the thought.

Sally spun her head around after he spoke. "You voiced your question a loud. I gave you the honest answer. You and I know those are really the only two options." Trowa replied to the unspoken question.

"Oh. I guess you're right. Those are the only two possible answers to this. But… something just isn't right." Shaking her head she decided after the night they had, it was better to get some rest and resume this in the morning. "I think it's time for us to get some rest. We won't have any answers till the morning anyway."

Trowa nodded, standing back up to his full height. "I'll stay here and watch over her."

Sally arched a brow at him "You don't need to, nor should you. I plan to have guards stationed outside and inside the room. I think it's best if you go and try and get some rest Trowa. It's been a long night."

Trowa shook his head before he grabbed a nearby chair dragging it over to where the girl lay. "I'm staying." Was his only response before he sat down, crossing his legs over one another, then his arms. "I'll see you in a few hours." He never turned back, keeping his eyes focused on the girl, maybe if he looked at her long enough he could will her to wake up. He needed to know more about her, who she was, where she came from and most importantly why she was here now.

Normally Sally would put up a fight, but something about the way Trowa was looking at the girl, told Sally maybe this one time it was better to not threaten him. "Fine, but if you get tired, leave the room and head across the hall. There's a small cot I keep in there. I'm still sending guards to watch over the room."

Trowa never responded so Sally said her goodbyes and left. Hoping to either get some sleep or some answers to the questions floating around in her head.

* * *

Trowa knew he must of dozed off at some point, because when he lifted his head he was looking straight into two deep blue eyes. Surprised that she was even awake, he just continued to stare at her. Even with the slight glare she was giving him, she was beautiful. Mentally shaking himself, he spoke. "You're awake."

She smirked slightly at him before responding. "Where am I?" She kept her eyes glued on him while she studied his reaction. She had been watching him sleep for a while now, and was well aware that she was strapped down but she wasn't expecting him to be sitting there. Like he was waiting for her to wake up.

Trowa was taken back by her voice, it sounded so innocent, so pure. "Preventers." It was a simple answer but he didn't know how much he should disclose to her. "You were wounded so we brought you back here to receive medical care."

Her eyes hardened slightly and the smirk disappeared from her face. "You should of left me. Bringing me here will only cause you more problems than it's worth, Trowa Barton." With that she turned her head back, closing her eyes.

Trowa's one visible eye grew wide. She knew who he was. "How did you know..."

"I'm well aware of who you are." She turned her head back to face him. "Does it really matter how? Or why? I'm nothing more than a ghost, a shadow if you will. I don't really exists in this world."

"I don't understand." Trowa frowned.

"You wouldn't. You were never supposed to know I existed. No one was supposed to see me."

"That doesn't make any sense." Trowa took on a defensive look. "If that's the case then why were you at that base last night?"

She chuckled lightly, "I should be asking you the same thing. Why were Preventers there?" She raised an eyebrow at him, as if to challenge him.

"Doing our jobs." He shot back. Crossing his arms back over his chest.

"Then you and I are on the same page. I was also _doing_ my job."

Trowa hardened his eyes at her. "What does your job entail then?"

"Oh Trowa" She chuckled again, softening her voice. It almost sounded seductive.  
"If I told you, I'd have to kill you. And we wouldn't want that now would we?"

Trowa raised his one visible eyebrow "I'd like to see you try." The next thing he knew a hand came flying at him. He didn't even have time to react before the hand stopped right in front of his face. Gasping he looked to her face where a smirk had once again graced her lips.

"Do I need to show you more? Or are you satisfied?" A hint of laughter to her voice.

Trowa just stared at her, as she pulled back her hand. She didn't hit him. She was capable of it, there was no doubt but she didn't do it. Then he nocited as she was pulling away from him that her wrist was bleeding. Without thinking he grabbed her hand and brought it closer to examine. "You're bleeding…."

She froze the second his hand made contact with hers. She had just tried to attack him. She could of, should of. But she didn't. Now he was concerned over her wrist bleeding. She didn't understand. There was no need to worry, she'd heal within a week or so.

She watched as he slowly lifted his head as their eyes met again. She was half sitting up, half laying down. She was completely open to an attack but the look in his eyes said anything but. "I'm fine. It'll heal."

Trowa still held onto to her hand. He noticed the questioning look on her face before she schooled her features. But something flashed in her eyes. Against his better judgment he let go of her hand slowly. "Let me help you."

He stood up and started to undo the other strap holding her other arm down, then he moved to her legs and undoing both of the straps holding each leg down. When he looked up he noticed she was still half sitting up. The dressing gown she was wear was starting to fall off her shoulder. He moved back to her side and offered her a hand to fully bring herself up into a sitting position.

She stared at the offered hand, not fully understanding why he was being kind to her when she was clearing being rude to him. Or was it some kind of trap. She glanced back to his face.

He saw the doubt and the question flash in her eyes. He spoke softly to her. "Trust me, I'm not going to hurt you. Let me help you." After a few moments she slowly moved her hand and grasped his offered hand. Trowa help pull her up, while she swung her legs over the sides. Wincing slightly from the movement. Her shoulder was sore from the bullet but it wasn't anything she hadn't dealt with before.

"Let me get something for your wrist." Trowa walked away, as he began rummaging through draws in the the medicine cabinet to find anything he could clean her wrist with. After a few minutes he finally found some gauze and some alcohol to clean the cut with. Coming back to the exam table he sat down next to her, laying the items out. Trowa lifted his hand and waited for her to give him her wrist. She obliged, watching him as he cleaned the blood away and look at the damage she caused by ripping the restraint.

They were silent the whole time he tended to her wounds, but it was almost a comfortable silence. He felt at ease being around her. She wasn't resisting his help, even though she wasn't speaking to him. She seemed calm, he noticed a few times she looked around the room, but her eyes would return to what he was doing. She wasn't sitting as rigid as she first was, she was more relaxed.

Enjoy the silence it finally dawned on him. He had yet to ask one the of the most important questions he had for her. Once her wrist was cleaned and wrapped. Trowa turned to her fully. "You know, there's one thing I haven't asked you yet."

She raised an eyebrow at him, as he continued. "You know my name, but I don't know yours." A smirk appearing on his lips.

She responded with a smirk of her own, as she leaned slightly towards him.

* * *

 _Well I guess we now have an idea of who this person might be? But what is her name? Well maybe you all will find out in the next chapter!_

 _Happy Friday! Posting early since this weekend is Easter! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter if you are celebrating! Let me know what you all think so far! I know some of you are wondering when the good parts are coming, well I can say within the next two chapters you will get what you want from this M rated fic!_

 _-MM_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **A Simple Name/Identity Confirmed**

Heero had spent most of the early morning hours in the interrogation rooms with either Maxwell or Chang. Chang was easier to work with and Heero pretty much sat back listening while Wufei asked the questions. Maxwell was a different story. While at times Duo could be very good at interrogations decided today was not going to be one of those days. Heero had to step in several times to ask the right questions.

Heero had been going back and forth between the four men. They weren't giving up much information. All four claimed they knew nothing about what was going on, that they were just paid to stand and watch over the building for the night. No matter how many times they asked or how they asked the questions, the answers were always the same. Heero was starting to think it may of been a trap of some kind. Why place untrained men in a building rigged with explosives? It did however make sense as to why they were acting the way they were when they left. The men were running about frantically because they had no idea the place was going to be eliminated while they were just "being paid to watch over it." Not to mention the two who had taken a pretty good beating from someone. Heero had a pretty good idea of who that person may of been. Based on the description both men had given them.

Ranking a hand through his unruly hair, Heero tried to figure out the missing pieces. The four men they had were useless and he wasn't even sure what to do with them. While they did cave and told them everything they knew, they unfortunately didn't know enough to help them. Not even who hired them. No names were given and they couldn't even describe what the guy or guys who hired them looked like. As of that moment they had nothing. They were still in the same boat they had been in before the mission had ever happened. Heero didn't even know if Trowa had gotten any information. He had yet to go speak with him and didn't even know if he was still at HQ.

He knew he needed to go find Trowa, and that he _needed_ to get the hell out of the small office the three of them had been in for the last hour or so. Duo was passed out on the small couch. The second they had stepped into the office he immediately went for it and crashed the second his head hit the soft cushion. Wufei was working hard but it was evident he was slowly fading as well. His typing had become sluggish the last half hour and Heero noticed he was having a hard time looking at the screen of his laptop.

Heero knew he didn't look much better. He didn't doubt that his eyes were red and the bags under his eyes were probably just as bad. He quickly finished typing up his report before sending it off to Une. Shutting his laptop he looked over to Wufei who was slowly starting to doze off in his chair. They had been up for over twenty-four hours and while this wasn't something they couldn't handle, it had just been a long time since they needed to be up this long. Most of the time they were able to take shifts so they could get some sleep if they were going to be on a long mission but this one they didn't get that luxury.

Standing up Heero decided it was time to leave, to at least get some sleep. While the full report for Une wasn't done, he at least sent her something. He would find Trowa later and hope that he was able to get some information off of the computers that they could actually use. For now, he just wanted to go somewhere to sleep like Duo currently was.

Heero looked back over to Wufei who had woken up enough to acknowledge him. "I think it's time we get some sleep. I sent a report to Une. There's not much we can do right now nor do we have enough information."

Wufei only nodded his head as he stood up. He looked around and found Maxwell still passed out on the couch. Tilting his head towards him, "are we going to leave him or wake him?"

"Just leave him. Go find somewhere to rest and we'll meet up later sometime. I still need to speak with Trowa and see if he got any information." Heero said as he gathered his things.

"Let's hope Barton found something. We have nothing, which leaves us exactly where we were before this mission."

"Hm." Was all Heero said in response.

Both had went their separate ways once leaving the small office. Heero knew Wufei would crash in one of the overnight rooms here, and he planned to do the same. There was no point in driving home just to return in a few hours. But he wanted to stop by his office first before heading to one of the rooms. Once inside his office, he made his way over to his desk. Sitting down in the leather chair, he pulled out a cellphone that was in the top draw of the desk. Checking his messages he saw that he only had one.

Heero read through it before setting the phone down on his desk, his eyes heavy with sleep. He figured he could respond back later after he had gotten some rest. Laying his arms on the desk he placed his head down. Slowly letting the exhaustion take over him, he let his eyes close. His last thoughts were on the message that was sent to him. She always worried about him, was always checking in just to make sure he came back to her safely.

 _Please let me know when you get back. Thinking about you._

 _-R_

* * *

Trowa watched her as she leaned into him, a sparkle in her blue eyes.

"Serena… Serena Lowell." She said playfully to him.

"Serena." He let her name roll off his tongue.

She nodded her head at him with a smirk still on her lips.

"Is that your real name or the name you go by?" He questioned her with his one brow lifted.

"Is Trowa Barton your _real_ name?" She countered back, moving even closer to him.

Trowa let a small smile touch his face "Touché"

Just then the door to the room opened as Sally walked in to see the two sitting rather close to each other on the exam table. There were mere inches apart from each other and in the moment she didn't know what to make of the situation. The two quickly looked up to see her standing in the doorway, wide eyed staring at them. Trowa was the first to move,almost jumping off the exam table to stand. Serena had narrowed her eyes at her. After what seemed like minutes Sally finally found her barriers and stepped inside the room. Letting the door shut behind her. She held a folder in her hand and from what Trowa could tell, it didn't look like she had gotten any sleep.

"I don't know what's going on here, and at the moment… I'm not sure I want to know." Sally heaved a heavy sigh. Everything over the last few hours was still a bit of a shock to her. Now the girl was awake and Sally didn't know what to do with her. Was she an enemy? Was she just an innocent bystander to all this? The likelihood of that being almost nil. So was she an ally? But the question was, could they trust her? Trowa seemed to trust her, though he had only met her a few hours prior to all this.

"Sally Po?"

"Huh?" A voice broke through her thoughts. Shaking her head, Sally tried to clear the jumbled thoughts in her mind. "Excuse me?" As she looked up to hear the source of the voice.

"Sally Po correct?" Serena answered back. An unreadable expression on her face.

Sally mouth fell open as she stared at the girl. _She knows my name?_ Looking over to Trowa who seemed a little taken back by this but not as shocked as she was. Trowa caught her eye and just shrugged a shoulder.

"I am correct, am I not? You are Major Sally Po. You joined the Preventers as soon as the organization was established." She said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know that?"

Serena smirked at her, as if she was playing some sort of game. "I know a lot more than you think I do."

Sally opened her mouth to respond, but Serena held up a hand to stop her. "I already know you have taken blood samples and most likely have run my DNA. You have also probably done a full body scan on me. So let me ask you this, Sally Po. Did you find the answers you were looking for in those results you're currently holding?"

Sally's jaw fell again, if it could've hit the floor it would have. Trowa just looked between the two woman stunned. He wasn't even sure how to respond to what Serena had just said.

"How… how?" Sally stuttered.

"You don't think I wouldn't have been prepared for this? In the event Preventers ever got a hold of me?" Her face became impassive. "While ideally, I shouldn't be here. _You_ shouldn't know that I exist, the reality is I am here. I'm also not foolish enough to try and leave here. Not only would _they_ find me but I would be putting the agency at risk. For now I'm safer being here and you're safer by keeping me here."

Sally and Trowa just stared at her before Trowa recover enough to ask, "what do you mean?"

Serena turned to face him. Her face unreadable. "What I'm saying is, if you're as smart as I believe you to be, you won't let me leave here for a while at the very least."

Sally finally spoke up, "I don't understand how it would make a difference whether we keep you here or not?"

Serena shook her head. "Whether you think I'm an enemy or an ally it makes no difference to me, but you'll understand in due time. Right now I think you're more interested in what you have in that folder." She pointed to the folder that had been forgotten by Sally.

Sally looked down then back up at the girl. _She hasn't moved nor had she tried to make a move._ _Was it some sort of trap that she was planning or was she being truthful? Normally the guys would of been fighting tooth and nail to leave the sick bay, but this girl was more than willing to stay. Or did she mean Preventers as whole?_ More questions were already starting to form in her head. She really couldn't even begin to understand this girl and now she was even more confused than when she had started. Hardening her features, Sally decided to lay down some ground rules. "Let me make this clear. You try anything and.."

Serena held up a hand again to stop Sally from continuing. "I don't plan to do anything. Like I said, I'm safer here for the time being. I have no plans to ruin that."

Sally sighed and shook her head. _Chances are neither Trowa or myself could probably stop her from walking out of here. But if she's willing to stay it's better to get this over with._ Walking over to another chair, Sally grabbed it as she started dragging it over to where Trowa and the girl were. Sitting down she gestured to the chair Trowa had been occupying earlier. Serena slid to the end of the table and stiffened when she felt a hand grab her arm. She turned her head to see Trowa was trying to help her down. Sally watched the exchange but said nothing. She was surprised to see the girl allow Trowa to help her and moved the chair so she could sit.

Serena sat in the chair, staring at the woman in front of her. She knew Sally would have questions for her, but she also knew a lot of the answers were in the folder resetting in the woman's lap. The only obstacle Serena saw in all this, was how much information she should freely give to them. A voice of a memory spoke to her, " _It will be your decision on how much information to divulge, should you become captured by them. But I must warn you Delta. Should you divulge too much, there may be consequences for those actions_." Mentally shaking herself she nodded for Sally to start.

Sighing Sally figure it'd be easier to start with the basics. Looking down at the folder she opened it before pulling out a notepad. Sally was about to start when Serena spoke first. "Why don't you just jump ahead. We don't really need formalities do we?"

Sally just stared at her with a blank expression on her face. _How can she.._

"Read the results. Then ask questions." Serena said while crossing her arms over her chest, wincing slightly from her right shoulder. While she was able to block out the pain, she hadn't moved it too much since she woke up. She'd have to remind herself to move it around so it wouldn't be so stiff.

Sally leveled Serena with a look of annoyance "Fine." Serena just simply smirked back at her.

Sally grabbed a sheet out of the folder. Closing it, she laid the sheet on top. Taking a deep breath Sally looked up to meet Serena's eyes. Midnight blue looked back at her. There was no denying it… Then she began to read. "Female. Age roughly between 20 and 22 years old. Dark brown hair, blue eyes. Height, 5'4, weight 115 lbs. Muscle mass suggest a well maintained body, with an highly unusual low BMI. Some scarring suggest previous injuries including a multiple number of broken bones, all have healed. Small traces of the past fractures were visible during the CT scan." Sally paused to look up at Serena. Her face was expressionless. She also glanced at Trowa who had his head bowed, his long bangs covering his face. Clearly he was trying to hide any reaction he might be having to hearing this. Sally took another deep breath and continued on. "DNA test results show match to possible relative in the database."

Trowa threw up his head at that. So his assumption was right.

"You know what they say when people assume something, right Trowa?" Serena asked him playfully. Trowa just looked down at her. Her eyes were closed but that smirk was back.

Sally continued on with both of them saying nothing more. "Upon further investigation of female's DNA is was found to be highly manipulated. DNA analyst concluded that the genes were highly affected. Anywhere from strength to possible cell regrowth. To what extent would mean further testing. Based on the finding, it is believed the DNA was from one original donor, but was manipulated in such a way. Keeping certain key traits but changing others. Unknown as to why, such manipulation was done. Some results were inconclusive."

Serena smirked at Sally once she had stopped reading. There was more, much more, but she didn't think Sally would get into the details just yet. From what Serena could see on Sally's face, she knew she'd become a guinea pig for her duration at Preventers. Sally wanted to know more, it was clearly written in her eyes.

Trowa had been staring down at Serena. "You're a clone..." it wasn't a question as much as it was a statement.

Serena turned her head to look up at him from beneath her lashes. "Does that bother you?"

Trowa continued to just stare at the her. He wasn't sure what to think. Trying to take in all the information and yet he knew there was more. But her question rang loudly in his head. " _Does that bother you?"_ She was still looking at him when Sally's voice broke through.

"I do have many questions for you, but let's start with this one." Trowa broke eye contact to look at Sally. She was staring right at Serena. "What is your name?"

Serena slowly turned her head back to Sally. The smirk once again playing ever so slightly on her lips.

* * *

Commander Une, head of the Preventers was running on little sleep with coffee currently becoming her best friend. She had received the not so complete report from Yuy, there was still a lot of missing information. But it was something she had already known since everyone returned to HQ. Roaming the building Une had found Sally working in one of the labs in the medical facility. Sally had not divulge too much information on what she was working on, but she did state that Trowa had found a female at the base and that he had brought her back with them. Sally must of known she couldn't hide this from her because she had told her to come back in a few hours and that she'd explain more once she ran some test. Une was going to question her further, but saw the pleading look in her friend's eyes.

It now had been several hours later and a very short nap that Une was making her way back down to the medical facility to speak with Sally. Heero had indicated that he had not spoken to Trowa yet in the report. Une had hoped that Trowa was still here and that she could speak with him as well as Sally.

Une had checked Sally's office once she made it to the lower levels of HQ. She frowned when she didn't find her there. Deciding to go down another level and check the labs again. She was hoping maybe Sally was still here working or if anything she was sleeping in her second office. Making her way down another level of the building, she started walking down the hallway when she noticed Sally stepping out of one rooms towards the end.

"Po." Une addressed her.

Sally turned her head at the sound of someone calling to her. She paled slightly. She had forgotten about Une and the conversation they had early.

"Commander Une, I apologize for not coming to see you sooner. I was...uh…" Sally trailed off not knowing what to say.

Une raised an eyebrow as she came to stand next to Sally. "Is the girl that Barton found in there?" Une asked pointed to the door Sally had just come out of.

Sally swallowed a lump in her throat. She had been with Serena and Trowa for two hours now going over the reports she had on the DNA tests and scans. Serena didn't say why she was at the base other than she was doing her job but that was as much as the girl was willing to say. Nor would she give any information as to how she knew who they all were. All of it was a lot to take in and from where they currently stood, it didn't appear that Serena was going to tell them anything. She didn't deluge in who created her even though Sally had asked. Her only response was a smirk from the girl. Deciding she needed a break she left the room to collect her thoughts and figure out what to do with the her. She wasn't expecting to run into Une anytime soon and had hoped not to so she could have the time she needed to figure things out.

Sally sighed, she didn't know how to get out of this and she was honestly too tired to try. "Yes, she's in there with Trowa."

Une raised her eyebrow again. "Barton is in there as well? Well at least I can kill two birds with one stone."

Une moved past Sally to enter the room. Sally's eyes went wide for a second before she tried to stop her. She needed to speak with her before she met Serena. "Une I think we should talk before you go in there…." Her words falling on deaf ears as Une waved her off. Une stepped into the room turning to locate the two in question. She found two people sitting in chairs looking directly at her. One was Barton and the other was….

Une's eyes went wide as she stopped dead in her tracks. Sally right behind her. The girl that Trowa had brought in and that Sally had been tending to was almost the spitting image of Heero Yuy. Dark brown hair, dark blue eyes looked back at her with intensity.

"This is why I wanted to speak with you before you came in." Sally whispered from behind her.

Une turned to look at Sally whose expression was a mix of regret and worry.

"Commander Une?" a voice spoke. Une turned her head back and noticed the girl was now standing along with Trowa. "I figured it was only a matter of time before we met. Though if I may be so bold as to say, it doesn't appear that you were fully informed of me prior to your visit."

Une just gaped at the girl. Hard steel blue eyes met her wide brown ones. She looked just like him. The way she carried herself the way she was looking at her. It was all Heero.

Sally cleared her throat to gain Une's attention. "Maybe you should sit down. We can go over everything…" Une nodded her head and collected herself again. There was no time to be staring at the girl like she was a deer in headlights. She needed to get to the bottom of this. Sally had answers and so didn't this girl.

Serena smirked as she watch the change in Commander Une. She was becoming once again everything she was known for. Her former self as Lady Une was showing as she hardened her features back into the Commander that made her who she was today. Serena watched as Une approached her and she held out at a hand to shake. She watched as Une face changed for a second before she also gave her hand in a firm handshake.

"Serena Lowell, Commander." Serena said while meeting Une's eyes. Serena gestured to the chair Trowa had been occupying as he moved to stand behind her. After Une was seated in the chair, then did Serena sit back down herself. She knew it was going to be a while. She knew Une would have some loaded questions for her. But Serena was still unsure of how much information she wanted to disclose to them just yet.

"Under normal circumstances it would be a pleasure to meet you. Though these are not normal circumstances." Une turned to Sally. "Are those the results of your findings Po?"

Sally nodded and handed over the folder. Une kept her composer as she read quickly over the findings. There was a lot to take in, from the DNA reports to the scans. She looked briefly at Sally's notes which didn't hold much information. After minutes of sheer silence Une turned her attention back to Serena who sat still. Her expression betraying nothing of what she was thinking of. Une knew for the most part how to deal with Heero but this was another playing field all together. She knew nothing of Serena's personality or even any of her intentions.

"Do you have anything to add to what Agent Po has already written thus far?"

"I haven't decided yet." Serena's answer was honest and it took everyone by surprise in the room.

"This isn't a joking matter Ms. Lowell. Considering the circumstances I advise you that withholding any information may cause you more harm than good. If we have to we will interrogate you."

"Isn't this already an interrogation? Not to mention you honestly think interrogating me is going to get you any more answers?" She said while raising an eyebrow to callegene the Commander.

 _She's just like Yuy._ Sighing inwardly Une decided she had had enough for now. She needed to speak with Trowa and even if Serena had information it didn't look like she was going to be giving it up anytime soon. "Agent Po, do we have a room in which our guest can stay while recovering?"

Sally looked to Une whose face was a stone mask. Either she figured out this wasn't going to go anywhere or she was just plain pissed. Sally cringed at the thought. The last thing she needed at the moment was Une to be angry. "We can arrange something. Anything specific you'd like?"

"One where we know she won't be getting out of any time soon." Une turned back to look at Serena as she spoke. "Currently I don't trust you, though I'm sure you're well aware of that. While you haven't done anything as of _yet_ , I will be keeping an eye on you. When you're ready to start explaining some things you may let someone know. Until then you will be heavily guarded and if you try anything, I will be forced to take action."

Une stood up once she was finish. Serena stood up while smirking at her. "There's a data stick from the base in the pocket of my jacket. The information is heavily encrypted. I suggest you get some of your agents on it. I don't know what information it holds but I suppose I probably won't find out considering I'm handing it over to you."

Une stared at her for moment before nodding her head.

Trowa eyes went wide, the action didn't go unnoticed by Sally. He had completely forgotten about the data stick he had. He was so caught up in what was going on with the mystery of Serena he had forgotten to hand it over to Heero. Trowa turned to Une about to say something when she beat him to it. "Agent Barton I need to speak with you."

Trowa nodded his head and followed Une out of the room. He glanced over his shoulder at Serena. Something flashed in her eyes before she gave him a small smile. She then turned to address Sally. He didn't want to leave her alone but from what he could gather about the her, she really wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

* * *

Heero slowly woke up feeling stiff. Sleeping on his desk was not the greatest idea. Standing up and stretching he heard his phone go off. Another text from Relena.

 _I hope everything is okay. Let me know when you're back. - R_

He was about to respond back to her when his office phone rang. Sighing he put down his cellphone and picked up his office phone.

"Agent Yuy." he spoke in a monotone voice.

"Yuy it's Une. I have two data sticks with encrypted information on them that I need you to work on. The information may help us with this rebel group. I also spoke with Barton already….."

Heero knitted his brows as he listened. Une had spoken with Trowa already but where did the second data stick come from. He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't hear Une. "Yuy?"

"Hm yeah it's not a problem."

"Good, I hope you understand and I expect you to start working on this right away. We need all the information we can get."

Une ended the call and Heero wasn't too sure what to think. Grabbing his regular Preventers jacket he left his office in search of Barton. His phone lay forgotten on his desk. He needed to get to the bottom of a few things before he worked on cracking the encryptions. He never heard Une when she spoke about staying away from the fifth person they had brought in. She thought it was best that he just work on the encryptions and let Sally worry about the girl.

Heero headed for the Medical Facility. Something told him he'd find the answer to his questions down there. Instead of taking the elevators which were casing him problems as someone usually stopped him before he could get to his destination. He took the stairs down to the lower levels of HQ, taking them two at a time. He passed by the first level door which would take him to the main part of the facility, but he continued on down another level where the labs were. He figured his best chance at finding someone was going to be on this floor. Pushing open the door he spotted Sally leaving one of the rooms. She looked up and stopped dead in her tracks. A surprised and worried expression on her face.

The last person Sally wanted to see was Heero. She had already dealt with Une but Heero… he was whole other problem. Once Trowa was done speaking to Une, he had re-laid to her that they would be keeping Serena's identity a secret. Keeping her only on a need to know basis for the time being. Especially Heero. They didn't know how he would react to seeing her. Not to mention at the moment Sally was all alone. Trowa had left to go find a change of clothes for Serena, since her clothes were ruined from the night before. Along with some food. He somehow convinced Une to let him stay and watch over Serena till they could set up a permanent guard to watch over her while she was staying at HQ.

They had moved Serena to a more "comfortable" room. While they had a few labs on this level they also had some recovery rooms for those who injuries were severe. Plus the added bounce of an OR as well. The room had monitors in it so they could keep an eye on her but allowed her to have the necessities one would need. The door to the room also required a special key card, so not just anyone could enter or exit the room. Which meant it'd be harder for Serena to leave. Though Sally still doubted she couldn't find a way out if she truly wanted to.

Sally swallowed as Heero approached her. A determined look in his eyes. _They look so much a like, it's still crazy._ She thought to herself.

"Have you seen Barton?" Heero asked as he came to stand in front of her.

Sally eyed him closely, Heero looked like hell and his already unruly hair was even worse than it normally was. "You look like hell, have you spelt yet?"

Heero regarded her with a blank stare. He knew he probably looked like shit, but she was avoiding his question. "I'll ask you again, have you seen Barton?"

Sally sighed, he may be tired but he wasn't being deterred from his plans to find Trowa.

"Yeah, he just left a little while ago. I can let him know you're looking for him."

Heero's eye narrowed. He had the feeling that Sally wasn't telling him everything. She was trying to school her face but she allowed herself to glance at the door she had just come from. Taking a guess he knew the answer to his next question. "Is the girl that he brought in, in that room?" Tilting his head to indicate the door.

Sally's eye widen, giving everything away. She knew in that moment she couldn't hide Serena from Heero. She knew eventually the two would meet, but it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since the girl came to HQ.

Heero watched as Sally went from shocked to scared. She was hiding something and he was in no mood to play games. Pushing past her, he walked to the door swiping his key card to allow him access to the room. He had purposely reprogrammed his card so he could enter any room without limitations. Sally tried to stopped him as she pleaded with him that the girl needed to rest but Heero brushed her off as he entered the room.

His eyes scanned the room before landing on the bed. Dark brown hair fell down the girl's back as she faced the opposite way from the door. Her hands on either side of her. He couldn't see her face but from where he stood she looked perfectly fine. She was sitting up with her legs over the edge of the bed. He was about to question Sally as he turned his head, a voice reached his ears.

"Hello Beta."

 _Happy Friday! I know I said I would post on Sunday's but I'm finding Friday is easier for me. I figure worse case I have till Sunday to post the next chapter. Though if I were to be completely honest... I've almost wanted to post some chapters back to back. I want you all to get to the goooooood stuff, but first we must get through these chapters first._

 _So we've met Serena now. Any idea's on what her personality may be like? But I think the biggest question is what is going to happen between Heero and her? We will find out... in the next chapter of Tides Change! I'd love to hear what opinions you may have of Serena, thus far. Can she be trusted? Hope you all have a great Friday and weekend! See you all next time!_

 _-MM_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **First Meetings/Misunderstandings**

" _Hello Beta."_

The simple words had him rooted in place. His eyes grew wide as he slowly turned his head back around to face the bed. Prussian Blue eyes met his own as she looked at him from over her shoulder.

Sally watched as Heero went rigid when Serena spoke. But she wasn't speaking in English. Sally knew what hello was in Japanese, along with some basic words but not enough to carry a conversation with someone. But what really threw her was the word _Beta_. It had obviously meant something to Heero. He couldn't move from where he stood, like the word itself had paralyzed him. She wondered if it had anything to do with his past.

Heero just stared at the her. Deep blue eyes were locked with his own. Her expression was one of amusement. Her lips were curled up into a slight smirk but the glint in her eyes was just enough for him to notice she was enjoying this. She looked just like him, but there was something different about her. Her face was softer, the angel's weren't as defined in some areas as they were on him. Her jawline and cheekbones reminded him of someone... Then it hit him, she looked like the woman in his dreams. He couldn't place the woman but she was older than the girl who was sitting on the bed. But there was no denying it, there was a definite resemblance to the woman. He had always wondered if maybe it was a memory from his childhood. He had always seen himself as a young boy in the dreams and slowly had come to deem the woman as his mother. She never spoke a word to him, but he would recognize her face anywhere.

Snapping out of his thoughts, even with the shock still lingering within him. He adjusted himself before turning a glare on her. He watched as she chuckled at him, turning herself fully on the bed to face him.

"You look like you've seen a ghost Beta." Serena chuckled lightly again. "I can't be that shocking, considering this isn't a first for you."

"First for me?" Heero questioned back.

"Are you saying you've forgotten Beta?" Serena quirked an eyebrow at him.

A low growl escaped from Heero's throat as he spoke. "What are you talking about?"

"Do I need to remind you about Alpha? Though I'm sure you remember him." Serena hardened her face as she watched the change in Heero's eyes. A flash of rage passing through them.

Heero didn't think. He acted purely on his emotions.

Sally didn't know what was said between the two but something snapped in Heero. Before she could do anything Heero was throwing himself at Serena. She watched in shock as Serena lept off the bed dodging Heero's advance. Turning herself, she grabbed a hold of Heero before throwing him against the wall.

Heero locked his gaze with hers. She had him pinned to the wall and while he thought he could get the upper hand, anything he tried she would counter back, keeping him firmly in place. She was strong, maybe even stronger than he was. Gritting his teeth he was going to try one last thing. He had glanced down at her shoulder, it was bleeding. If she had a weak spot maybe he could...

"Don't." She said while Heero locked eyes with her again. "We don't need to do this."

Heero's face remained hard as he glared at her. He knew exactly what she was.

"Heero…." she said softly while softening her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you or anyone."

Heero watched her carefully. He didn't trust her. But what surprised him, was when she released her hold on him. Stepping back she allowed him the advanged he needed. He hardened his eyes as he lunged at her again. Spinning the both of them so her back was against the wall.

"Talk." He seethed through his teeth.

"What do you want to know?"

Heero pushed her up the wall more, lifting her feet off the ground. "Why are you _here?_ " The words coming out in a low growl.

Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "Does it matter why?"

Heero tightened his hold on her. "I'll ask one last time. Why are _you_ here?"

"Enough!" Sally yelled at them. She didn't need them trying to kill each other but at the same time she didn't know what to do to stop them.

Serena turned her eyes to Sally but Heero kept his locked on her. Ignoring Sally, he jerked Serena to get her attention back on him. "Answer my question." The words dripping from his mouth.

Serena turned hardened eyes back to Heero. "I didn't choose this life, nor did I choose to be someone's puppet."

"Puppet?"

"You think you're the only one who was made to play some role? Dekim may be long dead Beta but it doesn't mean there aren't others out there that aren't just as curl." Heero's eye widen slightly as she continued to speak. "J isn't always the one pulling the strings and you know that."

Heero saw something flash in her eyes. It was almost a plea for him to understand. He had no doubt that she was a clone. _His clone._ She was referring to him by name he went by after J had introduced him to his first clone, Alpha. He loosened his grip slightly but not enough to let her go. "Who?"

Serena kept her eyes locked on his. "They're far worse than Dekim ever was."

Sally released a breath she didn't know that she had been holding. Serena had said something to Heero to make him release his hold on her but not enough to let her go fully. Finally deciding that she wasn't going to let them continue on any longer as her patience was wearing thinner. She was no longer in the mood to deal with any of this. "I said enough! Heero let go of her right now!" Sally yelled. She watched as Heero slowly let go of Serena, allowing her to drop back down onto the floor. "Good, now if either of you try to kill each other again, I will personally put two bullets in each of you myself. Now Serena, go sit down on the bed. I didn't waste all that time working on your shoulder to go and have you tear apart my work." Heero eyed the girl in front of him. A sly smile playing on her lips. "And you Heero, if you wish to continue your little chat with her, go stand over there and don't move." Sally pointed to a nearby wall.

Heero and Serena looked at each other but neither said a word as they both made their way to their assigned spots. Sally rummaged around for the tools she needed to patch up Serena's shoulder. When she had found what she was looking for she sat down on the bed next to her. "The two of you can continue whatever conversation you were having. At this point I don't care anymore. I'm too tired and all of this," she threw up her hands, "is honestly too much to handle."

Serena arched a brow but turned to look back at Heero. His eyes harden when she met his. As if reading the unasked question, "I'll tell you what you want to know. But you're going to need my help if you want to stop them."

Heero narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think we can trust what you say?"

"Because..." a sly smile appearing on her face. "I'm your best weapon against them now."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Heero weighed his options. Something was nagging at him but his gut told him to hear her out. She may hold the vital information they needed. But what did she fully mean by being their best weapon against this rebel group. "Start talking."

* * *

When Trowa returned to Serena's room he wasn't expecting to see the sight that greeted him. Serena was sitting on the bed while Sally was re-sticking her shoulder. Heero stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed. Trowa looked to Serena with a questioning look but she simply stared back at him. Her expression unreadable. He caught a glimpse of Heero lifting his head to look at him. "Guess you two met?" He asked while walking over to Serena. Sally had finished and was tapping her shoulder with gaze.

"I'll say…." Sally said while rolling her eyes. She looked pointed at Serena and then to Heero as she stood up. "Remember my warning, both of you." She turned to Trowa, fire burning in her eyes. "Watch them and if they try to strangle each other just shot one or both of them. I don't care. Whatever gets them to stop." She said before she walked past him and out of the room, leaving the three of them alone.

Trowa turned back to Heero and Serena after Sally left. Lifting a brow he addressed them. "Do either of you want to explain that to me?" Neither of them said a word. Heero crossed his arms back over his chest and Serena simply turned her head away from him. "I'll just take that as a no." Signing inwardly, Trowa set down a pair of sweatpants and a shirt on the bed before handing Serena a sandwich and a water bottle. "This was all I could find. I'll find something better for you later." He smiled softly at her.

"It's fine, thank you." She said as she looked up at him.

"For clothing, this was all I could find. I can try and see if any of the female agents have any extra clothes that you can borrow for now if you'd like?"

"No, don't worry yourself. This is fine." Serena softened her face as much as she could for him.

Heero watched the interaction between them. Something nagged at him again. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. Trowa looked up to address him as Serena opened her sandwich. "Care to fill me in on what I missed?"

Heero glared at him. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Trowa regarded him with his own look. "I'm not sure I follow?"

"He wants to know why you didn't go speak with him after the mission." Serena said from her spot on the bed.

Heero glanced at her before returning his attention back to Trowa. "I would ask what your explanation is for not reporting back to me right away. But I get the impression I already know why." Heero's face remained cold.

Trowa narrowed his one visible eye at Heero.

"Give him a break Heero. Besides you now have both data sticks. I already told you that your best bet is to break the encrypted files on both and compare the data. They were moving files when I got there. Chances are we don't have all the information to begin with." Serena turned her ahead addressing him.

Trowa watched on as Serena spoke to Heero. None of it was in English.

Heero regarded her before responding back. "How do I know I can trust the information you told me thus far?"

"You _can't._ Not until you find out for yourself. But go by what _your emotions_ tell you." Her lips curling up slightly.

Heero narrowed his eyes before dropping his arms to his sides. "We'll see." He turned his attention back to Trowa. "Barton, a word?"

Trowa lifted a brow then looked to Serena. To his surprise he saw her roll her eyes before turning back to her sandwich. "If you need help, you know where to find me." She said before taking another bite.

Heero grunted something unintelligent under his breath as he walked out of the room. Serena looked up at Trowa when he didn't follow Heero out. She waved him to go, "he's not going to wait forever. Besides I'm not going anywhere remember?" Trowa made a face at her. He didn't want to leave her alone. "Really, I'm not going anywhere Trowa. Go he's already angry enough. And thank you again for the clothes and food." She smiled slightly at him before finishing her sandwich.

* * *

Outside of the room Heero waited in the hall for Trowa. Serena as she was calling herself didn't give him much information. She had only said their best bet was to get the information off the data sticks and hope the group had left them something. Closing his eyes the little voice that had been nagging him since the first encrypted message came in was back. Something about the whole situation seemed off. Serena hadn't mentioned anything about sending them nor did he bother to ask. She was holding back something but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

When Trowa walked out of the room Heero opened his eyes, mentally shaking his thoughts away. "How many people know about her?"

Trowa watched Heero for a moment before responding. "As of right now, Sally, Une, myself and you."

"Hm" Heero nodded. He figured Une knew since she had gotten the data sticks. One from Trowa and the other from Serena. "What are the current plans for her?"

"She's going to be staying here. Once her shoulder heals and Sally clears her, she's agreed to run further testing."

Heero regarded the statement for a moment before responding. "Is that necessary? I'm sure Sally already ran some tests?"

Trowa hesitated for a moment. "Yes she did, but the extent of the readings won't be known till Sally can see what she's capable of."

Heero thought it over, it made some sense. From what he gathered from their conversation J had probably trained her the same way he was and most likely enhanced her genes. "She'll probably be healed within a few weeks or so. Are you currently guarding her?"

"Yes until we find someone else to watch over her." Trowa didn't like the idea of someone else watching her but he didn't have much of a say in the matter. For some reason he began to feel responsible for her.

Heero nodded his head. "I'll be back later to relieve you." With that Heero turned on his heel making his way back to the stairs. He had a few things to take care of, that and he also needed some time before he came back to speak with Serena again.

Trowa watched Heero as he entered the stairwell. Unsure of how to feel about their conversation. Shaking his head he turned to re-enter Serena's room. Once back inside he saw that she was once again sitting on the bed, her arms crossed over her chest and her head bowed. She had changed into the grey sweatpants and shirt that he brought her and her hair was up and being held in place by… "Where did you find a pen?" He lifted a brow at her.

"Counter." She replied without looking at him.

Trowa turned his head and noticed a note pad had been left out but the pen was missing. "I'm sure I could get you some hair ties if you'd like?"

"Hm."

Sighing to himself, he continued to watch her. She hadn't moved and from the looks of it she wasn't planning to. "Do you want to tell me what happened between you and Heero?"

"No." Came her reply.

Sighing to himself again, he moved to stand against the wall Heero had been occupying before. Folding his arms over his chest he let his eyes rest on the her.

The room had gone quiet with neither of them speaking. Serena knew he was still looking at her but he didn't ask any further questions. She was content in the moment to not have to answer any. She had been debating on how much information to actually give them. Especially Heero. She knew he would be returning later on in the day. Most likely to ask her some loaded questions. Some of which she wasn't even sure she could honestly answer... But she knew she needed to play her cards right maybe she could have things work out in her favor.

Battling her inner thoughts over what she was going to do. She let go of them to let her mind wander to Trowa. She had noticed that he had changed into a pair of jeans with a long sleeve black shirt on. But his watch was missing. He had checked the time earlier before grumbling to himself as he took out his phone. She assumed that either the battery had died or the watch itself was broken. None of it really matter as her thoughts went back to when she first met him, up until now. She hadn't known him long, maybe a whole twenty-four hours at this point. But he had treated her like a person from the start. Even going as far as to tended to her needs. Even though she didn't need the help. He had been gentle with her, even kind. It wasn't necessary for him to go find her clothing or even go out of his way to get her something to eat, but he still did it. From what she understood it was in his nature to be that way. But she also knew what he was capable of. He was a soldier, trained perfectly for combat. But she could sense something different about him or maybe it was she just didn't fully know the man who was watching her so carefully.

The room was still a comfortable silences as she let her mind continued to ponder everything. _Maybe having him here won't be so bad._ She thought to herself as small smile form on her lips. _This could be interesting._

* * *

Heero for the most part had been able to avoid any real interaction with anyone. He had gone to see Une to retrieve the two data sticks, but while he was there she hadn't said anything to him about Serena being in the building and he didn't bother to indulge in the fact he had already met her. He thought about mentioning something but thought better of it. If Une wasn't informing him about Serena, chances were she had a reason not to. It was possible due to what his reaction might be. He had already attacked Serena once. But she had taunted him, so he felt his actions were justified. But Une probably wouldn't see it that way. If she had more information that could possibly help them, Une would want her to remain _safe_ , or as safe as someone like her could be. Having himself involved could potentially lead to possible bodily harm to the both of them. Serena was strong, she didn't look it but he knew he didn't look as strong as he was either.

Heero stopped typing on his laptop as he thought more about the her. He was still going over what had happened earlier in the day between them and how Trowa had been acting around her. His guard wasn't up when he came back to her room. He was almost _relaxed_ around her. Serena herself was even laid back with him. She had thanked him for the items and never once tried anything. _Did she trust him? Did he trust her?_ Even Sally seemed to be at ease around her. She had treated her like she would treat any one of them when one of them got injured. Yelling threats that never came to fruition, even when they were being stubborn. Heero knew Sally took pride in her work. If she could help someone, she would. But Serena wasn't terribly injured, so was it just pride that Sally was after to maintain or did she actually like her?

Heero shook his head trying to dispel his thoughts. He didn't fully trust her and she was becoming more confusing to him the more he thought about things. Heero shut down his laptop deciding he needed to have his questions answered. Standing up from his desk he looked down at the two data sticks. He quickly placed them in the top draw of his desk before locking it. Leaving his office the nagging voice in his head came back as he made his way down to the medical floor.

* * *

Relena had barely gotten any sleep the night before. Her thoughts were on one man and one man only. She had sent him two messages so far with no response back. She figured maybe they hadn't of gotten back yet or he was sleeping from being gone all night. Sighing she placed her phone back down on her desk before turning her chair to look out one of the windows in her office at ESUN.

"Heero I hope you're safe, wherever you are." Relena spoke to no one but her reflection.

She continued to look out the window for a few more minutes before turning back around to continued working on her reports. She needed to sign off on a few things before the end of the day. She shook her head before picking her pen back up. She knew if something had happened to him, Une would of called by now. For the time being she'd pushed away the thoughts she had. Heero always let her know when he was back from a mission. He never forgot to. She figured he'd probably call her later. Smiling to herself she dove back into the paperwork in front of her.

* * *

Heero didn't knock on the door to Serena's room before he entered. When his eyes landed on her, she was sitting on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her arms were crossed over her chest. He looked around the room but Trowa was nowhere to be found. Narrowing his eyes, he approached the bed. "Where's Barton?"

Serena didn't looked up as she spoke. "He's in Sally's office trying to get some rest."

"What?"

"He's still watching me, _technically._ " She lifted her hand to point in the direction of a camera that was mounted in the corner of the room. "He looked terrible so I told him to go find somewhere to rest. I haven't moved. I haven't left." She finally lifted her head to looked at him. "If you don't believe me go check the cameras." Her face was unreadable. No hint of any emotion. He couldn't tell if she was lying or telling him the truth. He kept his eyes narrowed at her. "Go look for yourself. Trowa said he'd be just down the hall." Her voice monotone.

Heero didn't know what possessed him but before he knew it he was making his way down the hall to Sally's second office. He knew the room had monitors in it to look into each of the rooms on this floor. It was easier to monitor the patients this way. Heero made it to her office and slowly and as quietly as possibly he opened the door. He stuck his head and saw Trowa laying on the cot that was set up. His back was to the door. Heero watched him for a moment and saw that he was breathing evenly. Satisfied he turned his eyes to the monitor that was on. He could clearly see Serena still sitting on the bed. She had closed her eyes again but he saw her move. She was rolling her shoulder. Closing the door Heero made his way back to her room.

"Satisfied?" She asked turning to look at Heero as he entered the room again.

"Hm." Was all he said in response.

Serena stopped rolling her shoulder as she watched him. "Come to talk more?"

"You have some explaining to do." Heero said as he moved to stand to the side of her. Pressing his back against the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why were you at the base last night?"

Serena moved her legs, swinging them over the side of the bed so she could fully face him. "Mission."

"What kind of mission?"

She laughed lightly at him. "Isn't it obvious? I was there to gather information, same as Preventers."

Heero glared slightly at her. "What information were you hoping to gather?"

Serena shrugged a shoulder. "I was only told that the key to destroying ROE could possibly be at that outpost. I was to go and gather what information I could and get out. That's it."

"ROE?" Heero questioned as his brows knitted together.

"You don't even know who you're investigating?" When Heero said nothing she figured she might as well tell him. "They're calling themselves Revolution of Edwards." Serena shrugged again. "I'm not even sure that's what they're still calling themselves. But to be honest they could've come up with something better."

Heero watched her for a moment before he continued. She seemed indifferent about the whole situation. "What type of organization are they?"

She eyed him closely. "They're like Romefeller."

Heero didn't like that. If this group was like Romefeller no good could come from them. "What are their plans?"

Serena smirked at him before turning her head away. "Try a different question." He should've known better than to directly ask her.

Heero tighten his glare at her. He had the feeling if he threatened her, she probably wouldn't tell him anything. He needed answer but he wasn't completely sure on how to deal with her. "Who sent you on the mission then?"

The smirk still on her lips as she turned back to look at him. "Who do you think sent me?"

A low growl sounded from Heero's throat, "J." It wasn't so much as a question as it was a statement. "Why would he send you?"

"Their ideals are all wrong and the way they want to go about things will only cause more harm than good. Their getting out of hand which is why J wanted to find a way to stop them before they actually see through with their plans. Though from the looks of it, it may be too late for that. They were moving files remotely when I got there. I can only image by the time you guys got there more of the files were moved."

Heero's eyes widen for a moment as he took in what she was saying. "Wait J wanted to find a way to stop them? Doesn't he work for them?"

Serena nodded her head. "He does but like I said they're getting out of hand. That's why J sent me."

Heero's jaw dropped slight, as well as his shoulders. It wasn't the first time J changed sides but what he couldn't understand was why J started working for ROE in the first place. "What?"

"I was originally their main weapon. But I guess you could say J had a change of heart. A few days ago he informed me of the base. He thought maybe if I could get in and get the information then maybe we could find a way to stop them. I've never been to this outpost before so I can't honestly tell you what kind of information they were keeping there."

Heero gaped at her. _Their main weapon? J having a change of heart?_ "What do you mean you were their main weapon?"

Serena's eyes hardened slightly. "I was _made_ to be a better version of you." Heero remained silent so she continued on. "They found out about J's new _pet project._ What better than to have a cloned copy of a Gundam Pilot. One they could mold to fit _their_ needs." Her voice growing dark as she spoke. "Somewhere along the way J changed his mind. Guess he didn't like what I was becoming."

Heero could see the darkness clouding her eyes. Whatever she went through was either the same as what he had endured or possibly worse. He tried to keep his composure masked. "Were you trained the same as I was?"

"Did you view Sally's reports?" Her voice still holding a dark edge to it.

Heero shook his head. "No, I haven't seen them."

She looked directly into his eyes, "I'm exactly like you. J just improved on some things. I'm genetically enhanced, down to every last detail. Why do you think I look so much like you but some of my features resemble someone else?"

The longer he looked at her the more he could point out the differences between them. She still reminded him of the woman in his dreams… "I look like her." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Huh?" Heero lifted a brow.

"I look like her… I've seen her in your memories… was she your mother?" Serena asked quietly.

 _My mother? My memories?_ "What memories?" Heero dropped his arms to his sides. "What are you talking about?"

"I know everything about you. I've gone over your files so many times over the past few years. Learning every detail about you. You've dreamt about her before. Do you still now?"

Heero stared at her, to his surprise there was a curious look on her face. He had been dreaming about the woman after his first encounter with the… "The Zero System…."

"Yes. The Zero System stores memories, if you know where to look you can access them. Didn't you know that?" She quirked her eyebrow at him.

He knew this information already. He knew his memories were stored on Wing. But how would she know if Wing was destroyed. "How would you have been able to access them?"

She smirked at him. "J has his ways. How he got them is beyond me. He never cared to share that bit of information. But he did allow me to view the files whenever I pleased."

Heero wasn't sure he wanted to know how J was able to obtain the data from Wing. He was becoming slightly more confused and yet curious as well. "What else did he show you?"

"All your training logs."

"How? Everything was destroyed."

Serena frowned at him. "You and I both know J always has a backup plan in place should something go wrong. He backed up everything so when he was captured right before you self-destructed your Gundam, the files were all stored away somewhere. By the way, you didn't try that for a second time by any chance?" A smirk forming on her lips as she asked him. She already knew the answer but she couldn't help but ask to see his reaction.

Heero gaped at her again. "No."

Serena out right laughed at him. "Good. It hurts like hell. I don't know if doing it a second time would change the results." She continued to laugh.

"Wait you've done it?"

She stopped laughing to look at him. "Yeah, to make sure I'd survive." Heero looked at her like it was an everyday occurrence. His eyes went wide before she waved him off. "It's not important. I'm still here aren't I?"

Heero watched her as she schooled her face back to a mask. He couldn't believe J would willingly make her blow herself up to see if she'd live. "What else did J do to you?"

Serena's eyes hardened again as they clouded over with anger. "Nothing compared to what _they_ did to me. To be honest J was nicer before he started working for these guys. But these men…." She trailed off unsure of what to say to him.

Heero watched as she turned her eyes away. He could see her battling some inner struggle. He wanted to know more but wasn't sure on how to address it with her. He decided to change the topic. Slightly. "Why did J let you go then?"

Serena turned back to him. "He gave me a choice. Stay and continue being their puppet or leave."

"You chose to leave, why?"

"Freedom… to find somewhere that I can belong other than just being used as a weapon…" Her voice was just above a whisper. Heero sucked in a breath. He watched as she lowered her head to look at the ground. Her eyes holding such a sadness in them.

"You found your place in this world. I may not of chosen the life I was given but there was a chance to leave. I want to find out if I can belong in this world…" She trialed off for a moment before continuing. "I watched you do it. You changed your mind during the war. Changed what you believed in. _She_ changed you." Serena lifted her head to look at him. " _She_ made you better. Made you see there was more to life than fighting. More than just being a solider. I want to know what it's like to be normal. To not have someone control me, to tell me what to do." Her eyes hardened slightly, but still held the sadness in them. "I want to control my own emotions, not have someone else control them. Turning them off and on whenever they see fit. I want to be in control of my own body. I want to be free from them."

Before Heero knew what he was doing, he moved so he was sitting on the bed next to her. His own eyes softened as he looked into hers. Something was pulling at him. "I can understand..."

"This is why I spent so much time going over your files. I felt connected to you, not just because I was created from you but at the time I could relate to you…" She trailed off again as she turned her head away from him to look at the floor. "Sorry all of this is new for me. I don't know how to express myself correctly. Forgive me."

Heero was taken back. She was apologizing? "Why would you apologize for being human? You're entitled to feel as much as anyone else."

Serena snapped her head back to him. Her eyes widen slightly. Then she started to laugh. "You've changed." Heero looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. He knew he had changed over the years but had he changed so much that she thought it was funny in some way. Serena slowed her laughing. "Sorry… I didn't mean anything by it. It's just the Heero I know and the one I'm looking at now are two very different ones."

"It's fine…" He slowly said.

Once she calmed herself, she grinned at him. "Can I ask you something?"

Heero thought about it but allowed her to ask her question. "Sure."

"Have you told Relena how you feel about her?"

Heero's eyes went wide and his faced turned a bright shade of red. "How?..."

Serena chuckled lightly. "I've seen all your memories remember? I know all your thoughts and feelings."

"I….uh…" Heero couldn't find his words.

"Are you seeing her? From your reaction I'm going with you still hold the same feelings for her that you did back then." She moved a leg onto the bed. Using it to prop her arm up. She rested her chin in her hand, a sly smile still on her face. "I mean you did _kiss_ her. You had feelings for her then."

"I…." Heero tried to find something to say. Was she actually asking him or teasing him?

She laughed again. Using her free hand she poked him in the chest. "I'm going with a yes on both questions."

Heero gaped at her before shaking his head. _Was this really happening?_ "We're not discussing Relena."

She lifted a brow, "Oh. I shouldn't of tried my luck." She smiled softly at him.

"It's alright." Heero tried to shake his thoughts away. He wasn't sure what to make of all of this. Some of his questions were answer but now he had a million more. He need to refocus and get her to do the same. "I need to ask you something."

She lifted her head from her hand. "Yeah?"

"Do you really want to help us take down this group… ROE?" He asked, tightening his facial features.

Serena harder her own face. "If this is my only chance to stop them, then I'll do whatever I can to help."

Heero was still unsure if he should trust her. She had told him some information, mainly about herself. But it didn't mean he could fully trust her as they sat across from each other. _Freedom..._ The word echoed in his head as he looked at her. The nagging voice was still there but for the moment it seemed satisfied. Deciding whether or not they could trust her, he knew she was their only key to figuring out this rebel group and possibly their only chance at taking them down. "If that's the case you're going to have to tell us everything you know."

Serena stared at him before she nodded her head. "Understood."

* * *

 _Happy Friday! I hope all of you have had a good week! So Heero has officially met Serena. Hm wonder how this relationship will turn out? I think they started off on the right foot. *laughs* I guess we'll have to wait and see how this goes. Though I think that things will get very interesting..._

 _Please review! I want to hear your thoughts so far, especially on this chapter! Also, I know some of you might be asking "where is Relena?" Well I can happily tell you that she will be making her (real) grand entrance in the next chapter!_

 _-MM_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Can't Hide Forever**

Trowa had woken up to voices. He turned over on the cot looking around for the source before his eyes landed on the computer monitor. Sitting up he looked at the screen where Heero and Serena were talking. None of which he could make out. They were once again talking to each other in Japanese. But from what he could tell they were being civil. Heero was standing against the wall while Serena was sitting on the bed.

He watched for a few minutes before deciding he need some coffee. He figured if they hadn't killed each other yet, that it would be fine to go get some. Standing up he grabbed his Preventers jacket throwing it over his shoulder as he left the room. He stopped in front of the door to her room. He could hear them talking but they're voices weren't loud. Satisfied that they'd be okay he continued walking. Looking forward to a nice hot cup of java.

Once he had gotten his cup of coffee, he made his way back to the medical facility. He had grabbed a snack for Serena deciding he didn't know how hungry she was. He made it back to her room and as he stood outside the door he couldn't hear any voices. Lifting a brow he swiped his keycard allowing him to open the door. As he walked into the room he was relieved to see her sitting on the bed with her eyes closed.

"Sleep well?" Serena asked without turning her head to face him.

Trowa smiled to himself. "How'd you know it was me?"

"The way you walk. It's easy to distinguish the difference between you and someone else." She said as she lifted her head to look at him.

"You have good hearing then." He said as he walked over to her. Handing her a bottle of water. "I would of gotten you some java but I didn't know if you enjoyed it."

"Java?" She lifted an eyebrow at him as she took the water from his hand. "I do enjoy coffee but water is fine."

Trowa chuckled to himself. "Next time I'll bring you one. How do you take it?"

"Black" Came her reply before she opened the water, taking a sip.

Nodding his head. "I'll remember that. I also brought you this." He pulled an apple out of his pocket handing it to her. "I wasn't sure how hungry you were."

"Thank you." Closing her water bottle she set it on the bed before turning her attention to the apple. "Here." He said. Turning her head back up to him, she saw that he was holding out a knife. Serena lifted her brow again. "How do you know I won't try anything?" Her voice monotone.

This time Trowa chuckled out loud. "I trust you."

It was so simple and he said it so carefree. Serena eyes widen for a second before she schooled her features. She slowly lifted her hand taking the knife from him. Her fingers lightly grazing his skin as she pulled the knife away. Turning her attention back to the apple, she sliced a piece before putting it into her mouth. She loved apples. Especially the ones here on Earth. Slicing another piece she turned and offered it to him.

Trowa looked at her shocked for a moment before taking the the offered slice. Putting it in his mouth, he watched as Serena adjusted herself making room for him to sit on the bed. Sitting down next to her, he watched as she sliced into the apple again. Taking another piece for herself before slicing another for him.

They sat quietly as they shared the apple. While he was enjoying the quiet moment with her, he decided now was a good time to ask her something. "Can you tell me something?"

Serena was getting the last slice of apple removed as she responded. "Sure."

She offered the last piece to him, but he declined. He watched as she put the last piece in her mouth. "Why the name Serena? It's Latin correct?"

Swallowing the piece she looked at him. "Yes… it's Latin. Why do you ask?"

Trowa watched as she had a confused look on her face. "You took the name. I was just curious as to why. It means tranquil, serene. It became a popular name at one point in time before it slowly died off. Most would refer to it as being Italian."

She quirked her eyebrow at him. "I'm surprised you know."

"It's not a name you hear a lot anymore. I was intrigued to know why you took it as your own."

"At the time it seemed appropriate." She shrugged a shoulder.

Trowa smiled at her, "I think it's a beautiful name." He watched as she blushed slightly. "Does Lowell have any meaning to you or did you just pick it at random?"

Still blushing, she smirked at him "Yeah. It does."

* * *

It had been almost a week since Serena had come to be at Preventers. Heero and Trowa took turns watching over her but it was starting to wear on them. Une didn't know who she could have as her guard. She didn't honestly want word getting out that they had Serena in the building. She had Sally remove the two Preventers who were stationed on her floor to watch the room. While there weren't many people who went down to the second level she still worried about someone finding out. If word got out it would spread like wildfire. Either people would want to see her or they'd question Une's judgment as to why someone like Serena was still there and not locked up in a jail cell. Une, herself couldn't stand guard, though she was hoping to speak with Serena again.

From what Sally had been reporting back, Serena's injuries were healing and she hadn't done anything to warrant them to question her intention on actually staying. She moved about the room she was put in but she never tried to leave. Her and Heero hadn't had any conflict since the first time they met. Most of the time they were together they kept to themselves. From Une's understanding of what Sally and Heero had told her, they had only had one real full conversation and since then Serena had rarely discussed anything with him. Heero had been trying to work on breaking the encryptions on the data the two sticks but when he guarded Serena he choose to just watch her. Which wasn't getting him far with actually doing his job. Une needed to do something. Work needed to get done and she needed her top agents working and not babysitting all day long.

Deciding once her meeting's were over for the day she'd try to go speak with Serena. She wanted to know more about her and to also gather her own opinion of her. She'd have to see what Heero truly thought about her. He had reported back any new information Serena had giving freely to him but since they didn't speak much, she hadn't learned a whole lot. They had been trying to find time to set up a meeting so the three of them could sit down and discuss what Serena knew. She also nocited that Trowa seemed to trust Serena. He spent his time speaking with her and if they weren't talking he'd sit and just watch her. But he had more interaction with her than any of them. _He's too comfortable with her, but maybe there's a reason for that._ Une thought to herself before her musing was brought to a stop when one of the Ambassadors asked her a question. She shook herself mentally before smiling at her computer screen. She need to get through these meetings without distracting herself. They were in the middle of discussing the upcoming Charity Ball that was going to take place soon. High ranking members of society along with many of ESUN officials would be there. They were currently going over security measures to ensure a safe night for all who were attending.

Une quickly addressed the question which seemed to please the gentleman. Now only if she could get through the day without her mind wandering. She reminded herself that for now there wasn't anything she could do until after her work was done.

* * *

Duo had been wondering what was going on. Especially the last few days. Heero and Trowa were disappearing at random times. If one went the other one would show up. And neither of them had really spoken to him. Any time he went looking for one he'd find the other. No one had really updated him on what they were to do next after the what he considered a "failed" mission. Une had asked for his report which he had sent in. Then she had him doing random things since. He was asked to stay longer on Earth as they needed extra security for the Charity Ball. He had agreed to stay but only if Hilde could come down and stay with him. Une had agreed before sending him on his way to do paper work. Which ended up being the most boring job in the world. He was on day four of "doing paper work" and Duo had been trying to entertain himself. Whenever he'd go to see one of his so called "friends", they were either gone or _too busy_ to talk. Wufei had wanted nothing to do with him. Only telling him to "go bother someone else."

After giving up on trying to actually work he left HQ. He had gone to see Relena who wasn't the happiest camper around. She learned from one of her bodyguards that they had returned and that Heero was fine but he had yet to contact her. Duo got to hear the brunt of her anger as she informed him that if " _Heero's pompous ass ever wanted to see her again, he should contact her."_ They had been keeping their relationship a secret but it wasn't like _some_ people didn't know. They were all well aware the two had finally given in some time ago and had been dating since. But in that moment Duo thought it was absolutely hysterical. Heero was doing probably one of the worst things any guy could do. Not calling your girlfriend for several days. Normally this wouldn't be an issue in their case since sometimes they had to go days without speaking to each other or even seeing each other. But since the mission was over there wasn't any real reason for Heero not to have called Relena by now. Duo had quickly agreed when she turned fiery blue eyes on him for laughing at the situation. Relena told him to go find the " _pompous ass"_ and inform him of her demand. Duo had quickly left her office after that.

"Geez Heero. You fucked up big time buddy." He said to himself as he drove back to HQ. "I wonder what your excuse is going to be?" Musing random ideas over in his head, some just weren't Heero. An idea hit him. Trowa had been missing mostly during the day and Heero would be busy then leave then come back to leave again at night. "So if they're both switching times when they're actually in their offices..." Duo crinkled his brow as he thought. "I wonder if it has something to do with that girl Trowa bought in… but if it is then why hasn't anyone said anything to me? Does Wufei even know?"

Duo continued to think as he pulled back into HQ. He didn't have a clear answer but if he had to bet, he was betting on that it had something to do with her. "Well we'll just go see for ourselves won't we? And they think I don't pay attention." He laughed to himself as he got out of the SUV. Turning a grin on his face he skipped as he made his way to the side entrance of the building. Whatever was going on he was going to find out and he had a feeling he was going to enjoy doing so.

Once inside Duo debated going to see who was in their office and who wasn't. But after a moment he decided to head down to the medical facility. He figured he'd find out once he got there. Stepping off the elevator onto the first floor of the medical wing, he figured if he found Sally she could help him find either Trowa or Heero or even the girl. If he played his cards right. He walked up to one of the staff members hoping they could point him in the right direction. While the medical wing was mainly for Preventers who were sick or injured, it also provided medical care to their families. There were always staff available. Even at night. It was a nice perk to working for the agency.

After speaking with the staff member he directed Duo to check the second floor of the wing. Sally had said that she needed to go to her other office for something. Stepping back onto the elevator, Duo swiped his badge allowing him access to the second floor. If Heero could gain access so couldn't he. He found out that Heero had reprogrammed his badge to allow him entry into all areas of Preventers. It wasn't long before he did the same and he didn't doubt that Trowa and Wufei didn't do the same as well. Once the elevator door opened again he stepped out into the hallway. Looking around he spotted Sally walking out of a room and heading towards another. She was carrying a tray with some medical supplies on it. _Ahh, I might just get my answers sooner than expected._

Sally turned when she heard someone walking towards her. Her eyes widen when she saw Duo making his way towards her. A huge grin on his face.

"Heya Sally! How's it going?" Duo was still flashing his grin at her as he came to stand next to her.

Sally tried to hide her expression as she schooled her face into a soft smile. "Hi Duo, can I help you with something?"

"Why yes you can." He leaned forward with his hands on his hips. "Where you going to?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

Sally mentally slapped herself. This wasn't going to end well. "I have a patient to see. Do you need something?"

"That patient wouldn't happen to be the girl Trowa brought in?" Duo eyed her carefully. "Is Trowa or Heero with her at this very moment?" As if on cue Trowa opened the door to Serena's room. Stepping out he looked up to meet Duo's smiling face. _Bingo!_ Duo thought to himself as he moved past Sally to meet Trowa. "Hey there you are! I've been wondering where you've been going to for the last few days." Trowa was taken off guard by Duo being there. "Well how is she? Is she in there?" Duo peered around him.

"Duo…." Trowa tried to speak before Duo pushed past him. Opening up the door, he stepped inside and was met with two blue eyes, dark brown hair and a glare that was no doubt an exact replica of Heero's. "Holy shit!" Duo's jaw dropped to the ground as he looked at the her. She lifted an eyebrow at him before he spun around to face Trowa and Sally who had joined him just inside the room. Throwing his arms up in the air, "what da fuck is going on!? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Duo, we can…." Sally started to say before Duo cut her off. "Explain? Yeah well you better start! She looks like fucking Yuy! And to be honest one Yuy is enough to handle as is. Also last I checked Heero didn't have any siblings! So who the fuck is she!?" Duo turned his attention on Trowa as he went on. "And seriously Trowa!? This is where you've been since we got back!? You and Yuy been hanging out with her!?" Duo threw a thumb in her direction.

"May I help you?" Came a voice from behind him. Duo jumped as he turned around. Standing before him was the girl who moments ago sitting on the bed.

"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me!?" Duo ran his hands over his face. "She _is_ freaking Yuy!" Serena just glared at him. Duo just looked at her. His mouth was still open. "Jesus! Does Une know? She has to know. There's no way you've been hiding her for days without her knowing. Holy shit when did Heero find out!?"

"Are you done?" Serena asked him.

"Done!? I don't even think I can contemplate this!" He threw his arms up again.

"Well go contemplate somewhere else."

"Huh?"

"You talk too much." Serena said as she narrowed her eyes at him. With that she turned on her heel heading back to the bed. Sitting down she moved her shirt to reveal her shoulder. Duo just gaped at her. "Maxwell, I recommend shutting your mouth before a fly makes it way in there." Serena looked pointedly at him.

"What?... wait how did you know my name?" Duo was dumbfounded as he scratched his head.

Sally sighed, _well at least we'll have someone else to help watch her. Since he knows now. Heero isn't going to be happy and Une probably won't be either._ Sally cleared her throat causing Duo to turn around to face her. "She knows who you are, she knows who everyone is. But right now Duo." Giving him a look. "I need to attend to my patient. So move side."

Duo took a few more steps into the room to allow Sally to walk by. Followed closely by Trowa. Sally sat down on the bed next to Serena. She asked her a few questions before she removed the bandage that was wrapped around her shoulder. Trowa leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and head down. But Duo catch the small smirk.

Sally stared at Serena's shoulder. It was almost completely healed. In fact Sally didn't need to do anything. All she really needed to do was take the stitches out. Without thinking Sally grabbed Serena's bandaged wrist. Pulling away the bandage she saw that her wrist was completely healed. Sally looked up to Serena smirking at her. "How did you… how? I know you can heal quickly but you've only been here, what five days? How is this possible?" Sally looked dumbfounded as she stared at Serena.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Serena looked at her pointedly.

Sally shook her head, "No, you're right. I just wasn't expecting such a change in such a short amount of time."

"I haven't been doing much. You can heal faster when you're not doing anything." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. " Also you're work is good. I should only have a small scar left once it's completely healed."

Sally looked at her while smiling. Serena had complimented her work, but as she looked at Serena, she realized something. "You're probably getting restless then."

Serena nodded her head. She was growing more restless with each passing day. She hadn't done anything really in five days. She didn't mind staying in the room, but it would be nice to get out and do something. She'd even take to just running up and down the hallway if it meant using up some pent up energy. Sally lowered Serena's wrist back down before pulling her shirt back into place. Sally thought about what she could do. Then an idea popped into her head. "You think you're ready to run some of those tests we talked about the other day?" Sally lifted an eyebrow at her.

A grin started to form on Serena's lips. "Sure."

"Good. I'll get it set up. Say maybe in two, three days? I don't want you pushing that shoulder just yet though."

"Sounds good." Serena said.

Sally nodded as she stood. "Good. I'll be back a little later to remove the stitches." Turning to address Duo who had been quiet for a while now. "Duo," she called to him.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to say this once and once only. If you so much as speak a word about Serena being here, I will personally send her after you." Sally threw her thumb back at Serena.

Trowa lift his head questioning Sally with a look, while Serena had a puzzled look of her own.

Duo's face paled slightly, "You're joking right?"

Sally turned to Serena. "You're capable of handling him right?" She lifted her brow while smirking at her.

Serena watched her face before she understood what Sally was getting at. "Yeah, he's not a problem." A sly smile forming.

"Good. Trowa will help me with something?" Sally turned to look at Trowa who was clearly confused. Trowa wasn't sure what to say, or what to do. Sally quickly nodded at him with a simple _good_. Then turned to Duo. "Stay here with her until one of us comes back. It shouldn't be too long." With that Sally started making her way out of the room.

"Wait what!? You want me to stay here with her!?" Duo turned almost white as Sally walked by him.

"Yes she needs a guard and I need Trowa for a few minutes, you'll be fine. Play nice Serena." Sally threw over her shoulder before stepping out of the room.

Trowa looked between Serena and Duo. Serena tried not to laugh. She nodded to Trowa before schooling her face as Duo turned around. Trowa tried to figure out the secret message but unsure of what it meant he left the room to speak with Sally. Once outside he looked to her. "What was that all about?"

Sally grinned at him. "This is payback from the last time Duo came in for his annual physical." Trowa was about to turn around and go back in, when Sally put a hand on his arm. "She's not going to hurt him." Sally smiled at him. "We've spent almost a week with her. I really don't think she's going do anything. Besides I'm going to go watch in my office. They'll be fine. Go get her some food." Sally dropped her hand as she walked away from him. Trowa didn't want to know why Sally felt this was a good payback but at the same time he knew Serena wouldn't try anything. She would've by now with him if she was planning on leaving. Shaking his head he made his way to the elevator.

* * *

Serena was still seated on the bed when she turned so she could cross her legs. Turning her attention to Duo. He was ridged with a shocked expression on his face as he stared at her. Deciding if he was gonna be watching her, she could either make conversation or just let him gape at her. She chose to see where a conversation might go. "Are you just going to keep staring at me or are you going to speak?"

"Huh?" He was supposed to watch her?

"You're gaping at me. Do you plan to converse or stare at me?" She lifted a brow at him. She was slightly amused. So far his reaction had been the best since she got here and meeting the people she already knew so much about.

Duo shook himself after a few moments. The shock of things going away slightly. "So..." he wasn't sure what to say.

"For someone who tends to talk a lot, you seem to be lacking in words."

"Hey! I'm not lacking in words missy, it's just…." he trailed off again.

Serena laughed at him. "I'd say you're lacking."

"That's not funny! Hey wait a second, you actually wanna talk?" Duo stared at her with a confused look.

Serena had stopped laughing to shrug her shoulders. "It's either that or we have have a staring match."

"But you're like Yuy. So why would you want to talk. He never "just wants to talk.'" Duo watched as she shrugged again. "You are like him right?" He asked.

"Yes."

"So, like down to every detail?"

She lifted her brow again. "Yes."

Duo shifted his weight putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "So… you're as strong as he is?"

"Yes." Serena eyed him, wondering where this was going.

"And you're probably really good at hacking and stuff like that. Probably weapons too, right?"

"Yes."

Duo nodded his head. "Alright, so if you're exactly like him, which I am to assume is correct?"

"Yes." She dragged the word out slightly.

Nodding his head again. "Then are you as inhuman as Heero is?"

Both Serena's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

Duo tried to elaborate. "To your feelings, emotions, you know all that stuff. Heero's terrible at expressing that shit. Or he's completely clueless to it. Whatever his deal is. Though somehow he has managed to keep Relena around. Not like _none_ of us know they're together but I wonder how he handles it." Waving his hand as he spoke.

"I beg your pardon?" Serena was starting to see why Heero had made such comments about Duo in the past. He truly was something. She couldn't believe he was asking her this.

"You're his clone. I'm not an idiot as much as Heero probably thinks I am. But since you are and based on your answers to my questions I'm going with your emotionally unavailable for whatever reason. Do you even have a boyfriend or something?" It was now Serena's turn to gape at him, as he went on. "The only difference that I can honestly see if that you look semi like him. Enough to actually think you're siblings. That and you actually wanted to talk." Duo stopped to put a hand to his chin in thought. "Though on second thought. This all could be some act of yours. To try and win us over. Or you're completely opposite of Heero in the emotions category. Which would mean you actually feel things, unlike him. Seriously sometimes I wonder."

Serena stared at him wide eyed for a moment before lifting a hand to her head. "By god, you are an _idiot_." Speaking the last word in Japanese.

"Hey! I know what that word means! You're calling me an idiot!" Duo threw up his hands.

"How the hell did Heero put up with you during the wars and even now?" Shaking her head. "I don't want to know. I'm going back to my original statement. You talk too much."

"What!?" Duo's voice rising slightly. "Yuy putting up with me? Are you joking!? I had to put up with his ass and I'm still putting up with it!" Serena pinched the bridge of her nose, as she closed her eyes. _I'm never making this mistake again._ As she continued to listen to Duo's rant. Finally after a good few minutes he finally stopped talking. Or so she thought. As she looked back up to him. He opened his mouth again. "You know, you're just a female version of him. Geez and I thought Heero was bad. I wonder what it's gonna be like having you around. Are you going to be as stoic as him? Or just as big of an ass as he is?"

"What the…." Serena's eyes went wide again. _Oh if Heero doesn't kill him, I'll gladly do it for him._

"Shut up _idiot._ " Came a deep voice from behind him. He stood rigid as he recognized the voice. _Uh oh…_ Putting his best grin on he turned around to face the person behind him. "Heya Heero. How's it going?"

Heero narrowed his eyes. He had heard a good chunk of the conversation. "I should be asking you the same. What the hell are you doing down here?"

"Uh… I… um… was just in the neighborhood?" Duo laughed nervously.

Heero's eyes darted over to Serena. She had her head in her hands and was muttering something to herself. Heero brought his eyes back onto Duo. "I'll ask you one more time. Why are you here?"

Duo rocked on his heels for a moment, before sighing. Heero was glaring at him and in the moment it felt weird to have the two of them looking at him. He could feel Serena's eyes on him from where she sat on the bed. "I came down here to try and find out what was going on, alright?"

Heero growled, but said nothing.

"Hey not my fault you and Barton left me out of the loop!" Duo threw his hands up in a mock surrender.

"We didn't leave you out of anything. It was on a need to know bases and _you_ didn't need to know." Heero continued to glare at Duo. He wasn't expecting Maxwell down here when he came to speak with Serena.

"Yeah, well... my feelings are still hurt." He huffed while turning his head away from Heero. "You _could've_ told me about her. Not like I'm gonna tell anyone."

Serena groaned before she threw herself backwards onto her pillow. The fifteen minutes she had been in the company of Duo Maxwell was wearing her out.

"Duo just go. We'll discuss this later." Heero eyed him after watching Serena.

"What? No…" Duo tried but Heero sent him a warning look. "Fine, fine. I'll go… but I want answers." He pointed to Serena and Heero before leaving the room.

"I don't like him. He's ungodly annoying." Serena said as she sat up. To her surprise Heero tried to hold in his laughter but he couldn't as his chest rumbled. After a moment he settled down. "I'm glad to know we agree on something."

Serena smiled as she watched he walk over, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

* * *

Duo had taken the elevator to the main lobby. He wasn't sure why or what he was doing. Part of him was still upset with the fact they had kept Serena a secret from him. _Like they couldn't trust me._ The other part of him was in shock still. He had known Heero long enough to know a thing or two about the guy. Duo knew Heero had zero family, so seeing Serena for the first time he knew without a doubt she was a clone. _Hell Quatre's sister's were all cloned. It's not like the technology doesn't exist._ But it was a little unnerving that there was now essentially two Heero's. One male and one female.

 _But she's different. She didn't act entirely like Heero._ Duo was still a little shocked that she wanted to talk with him. _Heero never and still never wants to just "talk". What's her deal anyway?_ While he continued to muse to himself he happened to catch a very angry blonde walking his way. He stopped walking with his hands in his pockets as Relena approached him. She stopped directly in front of him as her hands came to rest on her hips. She was staring fiery daggers at him. _Oh yeah she's still pretty pissed at Heero._ He lifted a brow at her before speaking. "Heya princess, what can I do for ya?"

"You," she started as she lifted a hand to point a finger at him. "Can tell me where Yuy is."

"Um. He's busy at the moment, Lena."

"So you have seen him." Relena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah… but he's uh… a little busy Lena. I can tell him that you stopped by if you want?" Duo wasn't sure if he should be telling her where Heero was or who he was with. Probably wasn't the best idea but then again…

"Where is he Duo?" Relena's voice rose slightly. Her fisted balling at her waist.

 _Ah screw it, let Heero deal with her. Plus this is payback for not telling me about our little secret friend._ Duo grinned while holding up his hands. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. He's on the second level of the Medical Wing. Four doors down on the right."

Relena shot him a questioning look. "Why is he down there?"

Duo's grin widen even more. "Oh you'll find out. Have fun princess and don't be _too hard_ on Yuy." Duo turned on his heel, whistling as he walked away. _Wonder what Relena will think of all this._ He mused to himself.

Relena huffed angrily before turning towards the elevators. _He's got some nerve. Heero Yuy, you have some explaining to do._ As she jabbed a finger on the down button.

* * *

Relena made her way down to the second level of the Medical Facility. Her ESUN ID card also worked at Preventers. Heero had made sure she could have access to the building. In case of any emergency or just to stop by. Which was currently working to her advantage at the moment. Still fuming she started walking down the hallway. Her heels clicking against the tile floor. _Fourth door on the right._ She had given up on working for the time being to come pay _someone_ a visit. _How dare he not even bother to even contact me. A simple, I'm back or I'm fine, would've been nice. Well I'm going to give him a piece of my mind._ Relena made it to the door, not bothering to knock. Swiping her badge to allow her access to the room. She stepped inside the room to find Heero sitting. She watched as his head snapped up. His eyes went wide as they locked eyes.

Heero and Serena had been talking for a few minutes after Duo left. Serena was sitting back against the pillow that was on the bed. Her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at Heero with bemused expression on her face. "You didn't come here just to talk with me. So what do you need from me?"

"I actually need help with those encryptions. It'll take less time if the two of us work on them." Heero kept his face impassive. They may have been getting along but he wasn't ready to fully trust her yet.

"You want me to help you?" She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, chances are you're…" Heero didn't get to finish as he heard the door open. Swinging his head he locked eyes with one very angry blonde with fiery light blue eyes.

"Heero Yuy you have some explaining to do." Relena said as she walked into the room.

"Relena, I…" Heero tried to speak but Relena cut him off.

"No, you listen to me. You better have a good explanation for not calling me after the mission. I had to find out from one of my bodyguards that you..." Relena trailed off. She didn't even notice there was another person in the room. In fact she didn't even notice the type of room she was in. She stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the girl sitting on the bed. Her arms crossed and an expression she couldn't quite read. As Relena fully took in the girl she noticed her eyes. Prussian blue eyes were looking right back at her. Relena's breath caught in her throat as she continued to keep her gaze locked on her. Her head started to spin the longer she looked at the girl. Then everything went dark as two arms wrapped around her.

Serena had watched as Relena came in the room. Staring Heero down with a look of possible death threats. Serena was quite amused more so than before. Heero had looked completely surprised to see Relena there. Heero had tried to collect himself which didn't seem to be working as Relena started speaking to him. Relena hadn't noticed her until she had gotten a little closer to the bed. Serena had watched as Relena's eyes grew wide as she came to fully face her for the first time. Relena had just stared at her before something changed in her eyes. Her face paled slightly and Serena knew what was going to happen next. As Relena's eyes started to flutter, Serena surged forward off the bed. Catching her before she fell. Heero had started to jump to his feet, but she was a few seconds faster.

Serena held Relena in her arms as she looked up at Heero. He couldn't believe how fast her reaction was but he was grateful she caught Relena before she hit the ground. Shaking the thoughts away he directed Serena to move Relena to the bed. Serena nodded as she lifted Relena up, cradling her in her arms. She placed her carefully down on the bed before Heero quickly gave Relena a once over. "Your shoulder okay?" He asked as he looked up at her.

"Yeah it's fine. Is she okay?" Serena nodded towards Relena.

"Yeah, she's fine."

Heero and Serena watched over Relena for a few minutes before they saw her eyes start to flutter. Slowly Relena opened her eyes. What greeted her were two sets of prussian blue eyes looking directly at her. Relena gasped as she sat straight up. Causing Heero and Serena to move quickly out of the way. Relena turned her head to either side, looking at the both of them. Shaking hands coming up to her mouth. "She… she… she looks just like you!"

"Relena…" Heero spoke her name softly. "I can explain…"

"Relena." Serena cut in. Watching as Relena swung her head to look at her. Serena softened her eyes as she spoke. "You need to calm down first. Any questions you have, I'll be happy to answer."

Relena nodded her head before taking a shaky breath. "Who are you?"

Heero shot her a look from over Relena's head. Serena returned the look before turning her attention back to Relena. "My name is Serena Lowell. It's a pleasure to meet you Relena."

Relena could only nod her head. After a moment of silence she dived straight into a line of questioning. "Where are you from? Rather where did you come from and how did you end up here? Are you Heero's sister?" She turned to look at Heero, "You said you didn't have any family. So who is she? And why am I on the bed?"

Serena lifted her brow before looking at Heero quickly. His expression was the same. "I'm from L1. Where I came from… well you're looking at him. I ended up here because we just happen to be at the same place at the same time and no I'm not his sister."

Relena looked at Serena her mouth slightly hanging open. "Heero?" She wasn't sure who she was addressing at this point.

"Heero doesn't have any living family and you're on the bed because you fainted." Serena spoke for Heero since Relena's attention was on her.

"Okay well that answers some questions. But what I don't understand is what you mean by " _where I came from, well you're looking at him"?"_ Serena simple guestard to Heero. Relena looked to Heero with a confused look on her face. "I don't understand. She can't be a child of yours, she's too old to be one. If she's not your sister then that leaves…" Relena gasped again bring her hands back to her mouth. She turned wide eyed back to Serena. "You're his clone!"

Serena tightened her eyes slightly. "You're not going to faint again are you?"

Relena shook her head. "No… it's just… is that true?"

"Yes." This time Heero spoke. He had been quiet letting Serena lead the conversation. All of her answers were honest to a point and gave enough information without giving too much away.

Relena turned her head to look at Heero. "This is why you haven't called me?"

"Yes. Relena, look…" Heero ran a hand through his bangs. "I'm sorry for not calling but I'm sure you can understand why now."

Relena nodded before her eyes turned dark. "Heero Yuy, while I understand, you _could_ of still called me."

Serena tried to stifle a laugh. Her hand coming up to her mouth as Heero glared at her. "Sorry but this is kind of funny. You're in deep shit. If I'm not mistaken normally people call their significant others when they've been away for a while."

Heero growled at her. "This doesn't concern you."

Serena held up her hands with a grin on her face. "No it doesn't. But it doesn't mean I don't know how you feel about her. Remember?" She pointed a finger at him. Heero glared at her but said nothing. "Apologize and take her out to dinner. It's at least a start. Maybe she won't be as mad at you after that." Serena said with a smirk on her lips.

Relena was watching the two go back and forth but the only problem was she didn't understand a word they were saying. They were speaking Japanese to each other. "Uh…" Relena quietly said. Serena and Heero turned their attention back to Relena. "Um… could we maybe speak English? I don't know a whole lot of Japanese…" The two murmured " _sorry"_ in unison. Relena put a hand to her head. _This isn't what I was expecting, nor do I think I'm ready to deal with this._

* * *

Relena continued to ask Serena questions, to which she was surprised to find Serena so open and replying honestly. Along with a little help from Heero, she learned how they found out about Serena. Though some details were vague but she understood that because this was still an ongoing investigation and she wasn't at liberty to know everything. But she was pleasantly surprised with the conversation she was having with Serena. Serena had even allowed her to examine her closely. She had grabbed a hold of Serena's head, tilting it at varus angel's. She was able to see that while Serena did indeed resemble Heero, she also saw that Serena had her own features that in her opinion complemented her very well. Given the background information that she knew about Heero, she was able to figure out that Serena was enhanced like Heero was. Serena had told her that she was the one who caught her before she collapsed on the floor. She was impressed by Serena's response time but she also gathered that Heero was probably still in shock from having her show up. Though she was still wasn't going to let Heero off easily for what he had done.

Relena liked Serena so far and she could see herself growing to befriend her. She had offered to bring some clothing for Serena. She had noticed that Serena was wearing one of the Preventers standard issues sweatpants and shirt. Serena had thanked her but politely told her that she didn't need anything. Relena refused to accept the answer and promised she'd return tomorrow with something else for her to wear. Serena had shot Heero a look as he stood leaning against the wall. Heero had simply shrugged. He had told Serena that there was no getting out of it. Heero knew that once Relena made up her mind about something there was no stopping her. It was just best to accept it, he said before Relena reminded him to speak English.

Relena and Serena continued to chat lightly when a knock came on the door. Relena saw Serena move slightly along with Heero before the door opened. It was like they instantly had their guard up before they saw Trowa walk in, carrying a bag of takeout and some drinks in a tray.

Trowa looked up once he was in the room to find not only Serena and Heero but Relena as well. Relena was sitting on the bed with Serena and whatever conversation they were having ended and all three turned their eyes on him. Trowa kept his face a blank but he lifted his one visible eyebrow for a moment before shaking his head. He walked over to the counter, placing down the food he had gotten.

"Relena, I think it's time to go." Heero said as he stood up to his full height.

"Right…" Relena looked to Trowa then Heero before turning back to Serena. "It was nice to meet you Serena. I'll see you tomorrow?" Relena had felt a change in the room once Trowa entered. It was odd and she couldn't quite place the feeling.

"It was nice meeting you as well Relena. You know where to find me." Serena held a small smile on her face.

Relena nodded while she smiled brightly at Serena before standing up. As she walked by Trowa, she gave him a nod with a smile as well. "Trowa."

"Relena." Trowa nodded back.

Heero came to stand beside Relena. Putting a hand on the small of her back, "I'll bring you back to your office." He said before turning to look at Trowa. "I'll be back later." Trowa gave him a curt nod before the two made their way to the door.

"Don't forget what I told you, Yuy." Serena said to Heero's retreating back. "English!" Relena yelled back just as the door shut behind them.

Serena chuckled as she shook her head. She turned her deep blue eyes up to Trowa who was staring at her. "Mind telling me how this one happened? And what that was all about?" Serena let her laughter flow. Trowa smiled as he listened to her. Once she calmed down she waved a hand at him. "I'll tell you, but as far as the last bit. Just giving some advice." She smirked at him.

"Ah." Turning back to the bag on the counter, he proceeded to open it. Pulling out the food boxes. "I hope you like Thai." He said over his shoulder. Serena smiled to herself once Trowa had turned back around. She was slowly starting to really like being around him. There was something about him.

* * *

Heero and Relena had made their through HQ towards the parking garage. Heero kept a hand on the small of her back guiding her as they made their way towards his black Preventers issued SUV. Heero had learned that once Relena got to Preventers she had told her bodyguards to go back to the ESUN. He wasn't happy about it but he didn't want to start an argument with Relena over her safety. She'd most likely fire back that she was safe considering she was at HQ and that he was going overboard. Again. When they were at his SUV, he held the passenger door open for her. After she was in her seat he shut the door before making his way around to the driver side. Once he was in the driver's seat he saw out of the corner of his eye that Relena had turned to face him as he inserted his key in the ignition. Starting the vehicle he wait to hear what Relena had to say.

"Can you take me back to my house first?" Relena batted her dark lashes at him.

"Why?" Heero never turned his head towards her as he maneuvered them out of the parking garage.

"I need to just grab something before heading back to the office." She said sweetly to him.

"Hm." Was the only response she got as Heero made his way through the streets of Brussels towards her townhouse.

When they pulled up to her two story townhouse that was nestled nicely between her office at ESUN and Heero's own apartment along with Preventers HQ. When Relena was looking to move closer to work, Heero had helped her pick a home that met all her needs as well as his requirements. It had been a long process a little over three years ago but at the end of it Relena was happy with the townhouse she selected and Heero was happy with the location.

The two story home was perfect in her opinion. It had a large kitchen, plenty of bedrooms and her master bedroom and bath were to die for. She loved how spacious everything was. Especially being in the city. In her own opinion it was perfect for her and Heero. If only she could convince him to move in with her. They'd have plenty of room for the two of them. Relena had an office as well set up in the study but with the home being a four bedroom two and half bath, they could convert one of the spare bedrooms into another office for Heero. It was still wishful thinking on her part but she couldn't help but imagine the possibilities of the two of them sharing a home together.

Once inside Relena headed for the stairs that would take her up to the second floor where her bedroom and guest rooms were located. Heero didn't bother with doing a sweep of her home. He had installed his own security system. If someone had broken in or been on the property he would of been altered to it immediately. Walking through the foyer he watched as she stopped a few steps up to look at him. "You coming?" She arched a brow at him. Heero shrugged a shoulder before following after her. He didn't understand why he needed to go with her but he didn't have anything better to do at the moment. At the top of the stairs Relena turned making her way towards her bedroom. Heero following close behind. Once inside her room Heero shut the door behind him as he watched Relena walk into her bathroom before coming out. She made her way to her closet. After a moment she came back out empty handed.

Heero arched a brow as he watched her. "What are you looking for?"

Relena stopped as she was making her way to her vanity. "Hm? Oh nothing in particular."

Heero took a few steps closer to her as his brows furrowed. "So then why did you say that you needed to stop at home?"

Relena slowly slipped off her suit jacket. Tossing it carelessly onto the bench of her vanity. "You've been stressed Heero." Relena knew she was going to enjoy this.

"Stressed?" Heero took another step so they were close enough to touch.

"Mh-hm. You've been stressed for almost a month now. Tell me when was the last time you relaxed?" Relena turned to fully face him, her brow lifted in question.

"What are you getting at Relena?" Heero grew slightly irritated. He didn't understand where the conversation was going or if he really wanted to continue it.

Relena laughed to herself. She always loved getting him riled up. Especially in moments like this. She took the last step that separated them. Wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up into his eyes. "You've been working too hard lately. I think you need some time away from the office." Heero stared at her with confusion growing on his face. Relena laughed lightly as she pushed herself on her tiptoes to kiss him. His hands automatically coming to rest on her waist as he leaned into her kiss. Pulling away after a moment Relena open her eyes to look into Heero's own midnight blue. "You know, everyone needs a break every once in a while, Heero."

It finally dawned on him that Relena had asked to come back to her house so they could have some privacy. Most likely some much needed privacy from the way Relena was looking at him. She was looking up at him from under her lashes with that all too telling look in her eyes. "Relena do we even have time for this? Don't you have meetings today?"

Relena huffed slightly. "If I had meetings then why would I have come to see you at work?"

"You wouldn't of." Heero deadpanned.

"Mh-hm. I had some free time and I _still_ have some free time before I need to get back. So how about it? Not to mention you owe me for not calling." Relena looked pointedly at him to emphasize her point.

Heero thought things over for a second before he responded. "How much time do we have?" As he tightened his arms around her.

Relena laughed lightly again before lifting her head to kiss him again. "Enough." She had seen his eyes darken as he spoke. It was a look she loved, and she knew the sparkle in his eyes was for her and only her.

Heero couldn't deny that he had been stressed and unfortunately that meant that their sex life was affected by it. Working late hours at the office along with security detail for her left little time for them to be alone together. But also she had been busy as well. Whenever they had a moment alone together the past month, it had to be either fast or they'd have to stop for one reason or another. But also Heero had to hand it to Relena. She had somehow made time for at least them to do _something_ and today was no different. Normally they wouldn't fool around during the day but since the opportunity had presented itself, Heero couldn't completely complain. Maybe it was what he needed after all.

Heero let his hands roam her clothed body before he started to unbutton her dress shirt. He had to stop as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders letting it slide to floor. He quickly resumed the task of getting her shirt off as their kissing grew more heated. As they continued to undress each other, he wasn't sure who wanted it more. Him or her. He felt her grabbing at his belt before he even had her shirt fully off her body.

Relena had wanted to take things slow but the more they kissed the more she just wanted his clothes off and hers. Lovemaking wasn't anything new to them. They had done it many times before and she knew what she liked and what she didn't. Normally she loved it when Heero took his time with her but sometimes she enjoyed their fasted paced lovemaking sessions. Today she decided she wanted a little of both. Breaking their contact, Relena looked down at his belt. She was struggling to get it undone as she heard him chuckle.

"Having some issues?"

"Yes." She pouted up at him. Heero chuckled more. He had finally gotten her shirt off her but the face she was making was priceless. Then he felt her hand graze his pants. "Mind helping me?" Relena looked up from under her lashes.

Heero watched as she took a step back from him. Kicking off her heels before she placed her fingers on her dress skirt. Linking them inside the waistband she pushed the skirt down letting it fall to the floor. Then she slowly reached behind her back before unclasping her bra. He watched as she lowered the garment before letting it fall off her arms. Adding to the pile of clothes already on the floor. A devilish smile creeped across her perfect lips as she slid the last remaining clothing item off her body.

Relena had been watching him carefully as she finished taking off her clothes. She knew that he had memorized every inch, every curve of her body. But he always took a moment to admire her. Like he was now. She saw him tracing every line of her body with his eyes before bring them up to meet her eyes. His midnight blue metting her ocean blue eyes.

Heero couldn't help himself, every time Relena was bare in front or below him. He needed to take the time to fully take in her beauty. He knew every inch of her but he could never get enough. When he had finally made his way back up to meet her eyes, he could only see the lust and love that filled them. The way she looked at him was the same look she had always held for him and for him only. Pulling his shirt over his head he threw it to the ground before undoing his belt. Then the button to his pants before pushing them down along with his boxers. Kicking off his shoes he stepped out of pants as he moved swiftly to gather Relena in his arms. A smirk on his lips before he crushed his mouth to hers. He lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Making his way to the bed he laid her down as he climbed on the bed hovering over her.

Relena threw her arms around his neck bring their mouths back together in another heated kiss. She felt his hands start to roam over her body once again. Feeling everything in their path. As their tongues searched each other's mouths, she gasped when she felt his hand trail down her stomach. Moving slowly to her thighs before he parted her legs. She felt him smile against her lips as he coxed another gasp from her. His fingers working to bring the fire that was already starting to burn in her lower stomach to a higher intensity. She pulled her head away from his mouth as a moan escaped past her lips. Taking advantage of the angle of her head, he dipped his head to savor the skin on her neck. Nipping and sucking light he made his way to her favorite spot just behind her ear enticing another moan from her. He felt her grip his shoulders just as a wave of pleasure washed over her. Heero allowed just a moment before he adjusted himself between her legs. He watched as her eyes fluttered open for a moment before shutting again as her back arched into the air.

The pleasure he inflicted upon her was like a drug. She could never get enough of what he caused her to feel whenever they made love. Coming down slowly from the first high she opened her eyes enough to see his lips curl up slightly before he pushed himself into her. The flame slowly growing again as he started to work his hips.

Heero took pride in his technique. He saw her eyes glistening with the passion he was causing her to have. Every rock of his hips sending her closer to the edge. Moving himself slightly, he dipped his head to capture her lips as she wrapped her arms around his back. Pulling back for air as his chest heaved from his efforts to bring not only himself the relief he need but the relief the woman who lay beneath him needed. He felt her breath on his ear before he heard the whispered request. He lowered his head so his forehead rested against her shoulder as he adjusted himself again.

With her command she felt Heero working harder. He had wrapped his arms around her as she arched her back. His head pressed into her shoulder as he breathed heavily. The burning in her stomach growing with each rock of his hips. She was close to her second high as she started rocking her own hips. Meeting each of his own movements with her own.

Heero grunted as he felt her start to move against him. He knew she was close to her release as she met each of his thrust. His own release growing closer. When he felt her close in around him, he knew he was done for. Her cry coming out moments before his own. Pleasure washing over the both of them as he slowed his pace before collapsing on top of her. As he tried to catch his breath he turned his head to plant an open mouth kiss against her neck. He could feel her labored breathing as he lay on top of her. When he tried to move off her to let her breath she wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her.

* * *

Heero and Relena had laid tangled together in her bed for a few minutes before they had to get up. They knew they couldn't stay there forever, however nice that would of been. Heero had gotten up to get their clothes while she sat on the bed. As they began to dress she turned towards him. "Heero?"

Heero turned his head to look at her. "Hm?"

"What do you think of Serena?" She questioned him.

"Why are you asking me this?" Heero's face deadpanned. For at least twenty minutes he hadn't thought about anything but Relena.

"I think she's nice. She's like you but there's something different about her." Relena shrugged before pulling her blouse over her shoulders. "I'd like to get to know her more."

"Relena," Heero started, "we don't even know if we can trust her. She could be planning something. She is after all apart of this rebel group. Whether she states she's isn't anymore remains to be seen."

Relena looked up at him as she finished buttoning her shirt. "I think she's telling you the truth Heero."

Heero knitted his brows. "Why do you think that?"

"Because," Relena said as she stood up to tuck her shirt back into her skirt. "I can see it in her eyes. She wants to help Preventers take them down."

"Relena you can't just go by that."

Relena turned to face him as he pulled his black shirt back over his head. "When I look into her eyes it's like looking into yours."

"We have the same exact eyes." He wasn't enjoying this conversation and the good mood he was in was slowly fading.

She shook her head. "Yes that is true. But when I look into your eyes I can see everything that you're feeling in that moment. When I look into Serena's, I see the same thing. She can mask her feelings on the outside but her eyes show her true feelings." She watched as Heero stared at her. Saying nothing. Sighing slightly she moved to sit next to him. "I know I wasn't told the whole story today. But what I could see is the resolve in her eyes. The fire to fight. But most of all I could see that she has a good heart. Just like you do Heero."

She reached her hands up to cup his face as she smiled warmly at him. Heero reached a hand up to hold one of hers. He had been battling with himself over Serena. Part of him felt sorry for her for what she had gone through. The other part of him, the more logical side told him to keep his distance. He understood what Relena was saying to him but it didn't mean that he agreed with her.

"Just give her a chance Heero. I gave you one." Relena said before leaning in to kiss him. When she pulled back he looked into her eyes. " _You've changed. She changed you."_ Serena's word echoed through his head. Shaking himself mentally, he decided it was time to head back. "Hm. We better get going. I have work I need to do."

Relena frowned slightly before sighing. "Fine. Are you going to be working late tonight?"

"Yeah." He said as he stood up from the bed.

"I just want to let you know that you aren't officially off the hook for not calling me Heero. Just because we had sex doesn't mean I forgive you. I expect you to make up for this along with that you promise to _never_ do this again." Relena's eyes hardened as she look at him. A frown had formed on his handsome face as she looked at her. She chuckled to herself. _He think's he can get off so easy. No, not this time Yuy. You'll be making up for this for some time. Maybe next time you won't forget to call me._ Relena smiled to herself as she stood up. Taking her blazer from his hand she eyed him once last time before they made their way out of her room. She'd give him some time to figure how to redeem himself but for now at least he knew where she stood on the matter.

* * *

 _Happy Friday! I know I'm a few hours late uploading a new chapter but its been a crazy week. I don't think I'm going to get too crazy here with my note. I think I'll just leave it at this... ;) All of you were probably wondering when this M rating would take effect. Well here you go and you're welcome! There might be more...in other chapters. Who knows. R &R and have a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Information Revealed**

Heero had dropped Relena back off at her office before he headed back to HQ. Relena had made sure to remind him that he needed to do something to make up for his mistake. He was pretty sure that she'd keep reminding him till he did something. When Relena wanted something she most likely always got her way. She wasn't after all a politician for nothing. Heero knew this all too well but yet he'd always succumb to her wishes. She never asked much from him. Though when she did, he usually gave in. Like the townhouse. He had agreed that she should move closer to the city but his only request was that they find something that met his guidelines for being a safe and secure home. It was also the only thing that he was still on edge about. Them moving in together. He wasn't fully ready to make the move. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with her all the time. If he could have it his way he'd be her permanent bodyguard during the day. Then at night, just be with her as a couple.

They may have been dating for some time but defining the relationship wasn't something he enjoyed. The terminology just annoyed him. They were exclusively seeing each other. He figured that was enough. Relena never pushed the topic with him on the whole "boyfriend/girlfriend" thing. She understood he didn't care for the terms and as far as she was concerned she was happy with their relationship. And so was he. The only thing holding him back from making the commitment to live with her was that word would most likely get out that they were indeed a couple. They kept their private life private for many reasons. Between their jobs and mainly those they worked closely with. It was easier to keep things to themselves which is what Heero preferred most of all. If they stated it was for extra security measures, someone would turn it around and then the press would have a field day. Relena had handled such matters in the past without flaw but he couldn't bring himself to let it happen to them. Again.

The press had a few times claimed that her " _bodyguard and her were an item"_ but she had quickly dismissed it. Stating that they were just friends because of how closely they worked together. Even if they went out to dinner together, they always made sure to not be public about their relationship. They had their roles inside of the workplace and outside the workplace in the comfort of her home. Which was another reason why it probably didn't help his case of not moving in with her. He spent more time at her house than he did his own apartment. Heero knew it would probably only be a matter of time before Relena won the argument and that he would be packing his things up to move to her house.

Heero kept thinking things over as he walked to his office. From himself, Relena to Serena and the whole month, he had to agree with Relena. He had been stressed. And still was. He mentally slapped himself as he stood in his office. Every time he was with Serena he had wanted to question her about the damn messages that started all of this. He knew it should've been the first thing he asked her, but since their conversation the other day, he wasn't sure how to go about it. He was still feeling unsure about her. " _Give her a chance."_ Relena's words repeat in his mind. Then the sad look he saw in Serena's eyes when she confessed what she really wanted. He was starting to become more confused by her with each interaction he had with her.

Though Relena was possibly on to something. When Serena wanted to be read she'd let you. But if she wanted to keep you locked out of her thoughts and feelings, she could close herself up just like he could. She was good, he had to give her that. J had trained her well. Which made things harder for him to decide if what she was saying was the truth or not. Even with all his thoughts and opinions of her, he still asked her to help him. She had offered and part of him wondered if she really could of been the one to send the messages. The voice that had been nagging him was back as he packed two laptops into his shoulder bag. If she wasn't the one who sent them, then who did? Shaking his head he tried to clear his thoughts away. He knew it was going to be a long night ahead and hopefully Serena was up for it. It would also give him the time he needed to continue to figure her out. But this time he wasn't going to make the mistake of not asking her about the messages.

He made his way to her room with the bag thrown over his shoulder. Once he was in front of her door, he knocked before swiping his badge. As he stepped into the room he saw her sitting on the bed as she normally was. But a smirk was on her lips as she locked eyes with him. Ignoring it he made his way over to the counter. Setting the bag down he pulled out the laptops. "Ready to get to work?" He asked as he turned to face her.

"Sure." Serena said with a shrug.

Heero looked around the room for a spot for them to set up. Seeing nothing that would work he came up with an idea. "You willing to help get a table and some chairs?"

"You're gonna let me leave the room?" Her eyebrow shot up as she looked at him.

"You planning on running?"

"No I'm good. I'll help." As she held up her hands. Heero nodded his head before the two of them left the room.

They had managed to find some office chairs and a collapsible table in one of the storage rooms. Heero was going to carry the table when Serena moved past him lifting it before making her way out of the room. She looked pointedly at him as she passed. "It's not like it weighs a lot." Heero watched as she made her way back to her room before he moved to catch up with her. Together they moved the bed. Pushing it out of the way before setting up the table. Her room wasn't big, though none of the medical rooms were big. And they needed the space. Once everything was set up Heero placed one of his laptops in front of her. He had already logged in for her and pulled up the encrypted data off one of the data sticks. He knew she could probably find her way around but he felt more comfortable doing it himself. After setting up his own laptop he noticed that she had already started as her fingers flew across the keyboard. He watched her for a moment longer before he too started working.

They hadn't been working for long before Heero looked up to see Serena looking at him.

He kept his face masked as he responded to the look she was giving him. "What?"

"Did you make up with Relena?" She said with a smirk tugging at her lips.

Heero narrowed his eyes at her. "That's none of your business."

"Well, if I may be so blunt. You _look_ like you've made up with her."

Heero lifted an eyebrow at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Serena laughed lightly at him. "Your hair is more unruly than it normally is." She pointed a finger at him. "You didn't even bother to fix it." Heero's eyes went wide for a moment before running a hand through his hair. He didn't even bother to look at his appearance when they left her house or even when he had dropped her back off at her office. He watched as Serena chuckled more. "Well that's good. I'm happy you two _made_ up."

Heero growled slightly at her. "We have work to do."

Serena leveled him with a look but said nothing more on the subject. Turning her attention back to the screen. Heero watched as her fingers once again resumed their steady pace. After a moment he too picked up where he had left off. It wasn't too long after that her voice broke through his concentration. "How long have you been seeing her?"

He stopped typing to look back up at her. But her eyes were still on the screen as she continued to work. "I don't think that's really any of your business."

"No it's not, but it doesn't mean that I'm not curious about it." Serena looked up enough to see him glaring at her.

"Why do you want to know about my personal life?"

"Because I saw how you looked at her earlier. It only confirmed more that you still carry the same feelings you had before for her." Serena stopped typing to fold her hands under her chin. "I think it's wonderful you found something good in this world to hold onto."

Heero lifted a brow at her. He knew he probably shouldn't of said anything to her and once again he was becoming more confused by her. She was interested in his life but he still couldn't fully understand why. But the look in her eyes was telling him that she was generally happy for him. "We've been together for almost four years."

Serena smiled warmly at him. "That's great. I'm really happy to hear that."

Heero watched as she turned her attention back to the laptop. She said nothing more, but the smile and the look in her eyes was still there as she started to type again. _She was happy for me?_ She didn't tease him like he thought she would have. In fact he didn't even know why he told her in the first place. He watched her for another moment before shaking his head. Maybe now was the time to ask her the question he had been meaning to. "Serena."

She stopped typing to look up at him. "Yeah?" He had a serious look to his face.

"Do you know anything about any encrypted message that were sent to Preventers? One's that were personally sent for me to view?" He watched as her face took on a confused look before she answered.

"What messages?"

He turned his attention back to his laptop pulling up a few of the messages along with the encryptions themselves for her to view. "Come see." Serena stood up making her way around the table to look over his shoulder.

"I didn't send those. Why would I contact Preventers and especially contact you? You weren't ever supposed to know I exist."

"Hm. But what about the encryptions themselves. Do you recognize the coding?" He turned his head fully to study her face. Her eyes had hardened.

"Yeah, they're J's old coding from when you were training with him. He had me memorize every one. But he rarely uses them now." She turned to look at him. "You don't think?" Heero nodded his head. He had a feeling and it was confirmed even more now. There was a small chance Serena had sent them but he knew the type of coding that was used was the same coding J used to use.

"When did they start coming in?" Serena stood up fully crossing her arms over her chest.

"About a month ago we received the first one. As you can see there was very little information given in each one. The last one was four days before the mission." Heero watched as Serena narrowed her eyes before walking back to her seat. He could see the gears turning in her head as she thought things over. But she said nothing else on the matter as she got back to work. He could tell by her body language she wasn't happy about something and if he had to guess it was the fact J may have been making contact with him. Leaving the topic to hang in the air, he resumed his work. Maybe if they worked harder. They could come up with something.

A few hours later and quite a few curses, Heero decided they needed a break. Along with some coffee. From where they stood at the moment, they had gotten very far. Heero knew it was going to be an all nighter at this point. They had been working hard but the coding wasn't breaking easily for them. After getting two cups of coffee. Heero walked back into the room to find Serena had pushed the laptop to the side and her head was resting in her arms. Once he was close enough to the table he heard her speak. "You did bring the coffee, right?"

"Yes." He replied as he came to stand next her. "How far have you gotten?" He asked as he handed her the coffee.

"Thanks. To be honest, not far." Serena frowned as she moved the laptop back in front of her. "It's heavily encrypted. I'm kind of surprised at how hard this is." She turned to look at him. "They definitely didn't want anyone accessing this information."

"Hm." Heero nodded, "I've only gotten maybe twenty percent done myself."

"As long as you can keep bring coffee, I'll keep working." She said before turning back to the screen. She took a sip from her cup before setting it down to resume her work.

Heero moved back to his seat. They both had only gotten a small amount of the data unlocked. They hadn't talk too much other than the occasional curse. Heero was a little surprised to hear Serena swearing at the laptop so freely but he too had done the same

at one point. When either of them thought they were finally getting somewhere, the coding would change and thus leaving them to have to change their own tactics on how to decode it.

Serena had even threatened bodily harm to " _the asshole who decided to write it in such a way that the level of security was impressive."_ Heero had watched her then as her brow furrowed. He had found it amusing that she was angry but also complementing the person at the same time. He had to agree with her. Who ever encrypted the information did do one hell of a job. If the two of them were struggling to get the information unlocked then some average person probably wouldn't have made it more than the first few lines before giving up. Which made things a little worse on their egos. Since they were currently struggling. Heero wouldn't have admitted it to anyone but it was one of the reason he asked her for help. J trained him well in the art and with that knowledge allowed him to conclude that she had been taught the same.

His typing was cut off again when he heard Serena. He looked up to see her glaring at the screen before meeting his eyes. She muttered something before turning back to the screen. He chuckled to himself for a moment as he understood exactly how she was feeling. They had been working relatively well with each other. They were both quiet, minus for the few outburst of frustration. They hadn't really bothered each other and he was finding that working alongside her wasn't all that bad. Shaking himself he dove back into the lines of data scrolling across his screen. They needed to get this done and hopefully in a few hours they would have something. Anything that they could use.

* * *

It was early morning when a knock came on the door before it opened. Relena walked in carry two bags. She lifted a brow as two pairs of blue eyes looked at her. "Have you two been up all night?" She wasn't expecting Heero to be in Serena's room but part of her knew that this is where he would be. Considering this is where he had been for almost a week. What she found that may have been worse than seeing him here, was actually looking at the two of them. Heero's hair was a complete mess and the bags under his eyes were darker than normal. Serena herself had pieces of her hair falling out of the bun she must of thrown it up into at some point during the night and her eyes were holding the same look as Heero's. A " _hm,"_ came at the same time from both of them before they both turned their attention back to their respected laptops. Relena shook her head as she moved to the bed.

"Serena I brought you some clothes along with a new pair of shoes. Sally said that she had to throw your's out..."

Serena stopped typing to look back at Relena. "You didn't need to bring me anything."

"No. Plus I don't mind. You need something other than what you're wearing now." Relena smiled before she started to remove the clothes from the bags as Serena came to stand next to her. "Lucky for you, we're about the same size. I did buy you some new undergarments… at least a few to get you by for now. Sally also asked if I could get you some athletic clothes." Relena blushed slightly. She had been a little embarrassed when Sally told her what size to get Serena. Relena didn't have as large of a chest as she did. Not to mention buying underwear for someone other than herself was something she had never done. She just hoped Serena didn't mind the things she had picked out.

"Thank you…" Serena said slowly. She thought maybe Relena was going to let her borrow a few pairs of pants and a few shirts. But Relena had brought her more than enough. Turning to Heero who had stopped working to look at them. "Do you have access to Relena's bank account?"

Relena cleared her throat. "English, remember?" She said when Serena turned her head to look at her.

"Sorry." It was out of habit that she spoke to him this way. It was easier for them to keep their conversations private. Turning back to Heero she addressed him again. "Do you?"

Heero lifted a brow at her. "Why?"

Serena walked over to him before taking the pen that lay on the table along with a piece of paper. "This is my account. Transfer whatever amount you see fit." She tore the piece of paper before handing it to him. "Also transfer some funds into Trowa's account if you can."

Heero took the piece of paper from her outstretched hand. "Huh?"

"I have an account just like you did during the war." Heero looked at her before he nodded his head. He knew what she was talking about, but it seemed Relena didn't. "What account? And what funds are going to be transferred to mine and Trowa's?"

Heero let Serena explain while he went to work. Pulling up Relena's account first before he pulled up Serena's. His eyes went wide as he looked at the amount of money in the account. "How did you get all this?" He turned towards her. Serena shrugged her shoulders before turning back to Relena to finish explaining. Heero shook his head as he entered a random amount of money before moving to Trowa's account. "How much for Trowa?" He asked.

"Whatever amount. A few hundred. Doesn't matter to me." He shot her a look. "He's been bring me food. Just think of it as interest for him spending his money just so I could eat." Heero shook his head as he did what he was asked to do. She had more than enough money to spare them all a few hundred dollars. Once done he turned his head to see Relena standing next to him and Serena making her way back to her seat.

"What are you two working on?" Relena asked, while leaning over his shoulder.

"Encrypted data." Heero said as he pulled the screen back up.

"Have you found anything yet?" Relena asked as she read through the jumbled lines of letters and numbers.

"Nothing yet."

Relena watched as his fingers flew over the keyboard. She could hear Serena's doing the same. Then she spotted something. "There." She said pointing to the screen. "It looks like a date." Heero stopped in his typing to look. Then he noticed Serena had stopped as well. "Heero that's my birthday and isn't that the same date all five Gundam's were sent to Earth?"

Serena's head snapped up. "What?"

Heero turned the screen around for Serena to see. Serena read over the numbers and letters. They matched up to read _April 7, AC 195._ She looked at Heero before turning back to her own screen. Her fingers flying over the keys as she pulled up a program that he just so conveniently had. She took what information she had unlocked into the program. She let it run through the data before she noticed a pattern. All the information were dates along with locations to which the dates corresponded with. She stared wide eyed at the screen when the last date showed. August 23, AC 197.

Heero watched Serena as her face changed. She went from shocked to angry before she stood up, shoving the laptop away from herself. "What is it?" He asked her.

Serena ran her hand through her hair. "We were played."

"What?" Heero grabbed the laptop turning it so he could see.

"They're just dates and locations. Every single one. From when each Gundam was built, to every attack that took place during the war. Even the deaths of some important figureheads."

Heero read through everything. She was right. "Why would they have this information? All of it was destroyed." Heero looked up as Serena slammed her hands on the table. Her face was growing dark as she looked at him. " _We were set up_. Can't you see?"

"What do you mean you were set up?" Relena asked looking between the two of them. Neither one responded to her. Serena had turned her head away and Heero had closed his eyes with arms crossed over his chest. Relena was about to ask them again when she heard Serena speak. "Could I have some time alone?"

Heero looked up to see Serena's eyes burning with rage. He had a pretty good idea of what was going through her head. "Hm. Relena I'll bring you to your office." Heero said as he stood up. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Do you understand?" He watched as Serena turned her eyes away from him. Part of him didn't blame her for feeling the way she was feeling. Serena may know more information than she had been letting on, but it was easy to see that things were changing for her. Her original objective was to steal the data from the base and Preventers were to gather the same information. The only result was that in the end, it was only a waste of time for both sides.

He knew they both needed some time to think things over. Serena most of all need to figure out her next move. He wasn't foolish, he knew once they left she'd be running everything through her mind. Weighing her options on the best course of action. He'd be doing the same. As he grabbed his jacket off the counter he took one last look at her. Her head was still turned away from them but the look on her face said it all. Walking to Relena he placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her out of the room. Relena had tried to speak to Serena but he knew she wasn't going to say anything to either of them at the moment.

After Heero and Relena left, Serena grabbed a change of clothes. She didn't care if someone was watching her as she stripped out of the clothes she had been wearing. Throwing on the clothes that Relena had brought her, she made her way into the bathroom. Ripping the hair tie out of her hair she looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Steel blue eyes stared back at her. Almost laughing at her for being so foolish. _He played me. He set this all up. He never offered me my freedom. I'm nothing more than just a weapon. Nothing more than what he created._ Serena balled her right fist as she continued to look at herself. The anger building stronger before her fist shot up.

* * *

Duo had made his way down to the medical facility. He was hoping to try and talk with Serena. He had told Hilde about her which resulted in her yelling at him for being an ass. Though she was also curious about Serena, Hilde had told him that maybe he should apologize to her. She wasn't pleased with the fact that he was " _an asshole for acting like that towards her."_ But at the time he didn't think any of it was a big deal. He still didn't think it was a big deal. Serena was after all another version of Heero. Though Hilde still didn't see it that way. The more he thought about it the more he thought that maybe Serena could banter with him. She was after all different in her own way from Heero. Which didn't help stop the questions he had for her floating around in his head.

Walking up to her door, he swiped his keycard before opening the door. When he walked in he saw the bed pushed towards the far wall and a table with two laptops and some chairs. But Serena wasn't there nor was anyone else. Turning his head he looked towards the bathroom where Serena was standing leaning over the counter. Her hair obscuring her face. Then he saw the blood and shards of glass all over the counter and floor.

"Holy shit!? What the fuck happened?" Duo's eyes were wide as he continued to look at her. "What the hell did you do Serena?" She said nothing in response. She didn't even move. He was about to call to her again when the door opened again.

Trowa saw Duo first who had turned to look at him. His eyes were wide and his open began to open. He looked in the direction that Duo had been looking in. He saw Serena standing in the bathroom with glass and blood everywhere. Without thinking he rushed past Duo before he could speak. Coming to stand next her, he reached out a hand to her. Before he his fingertips could reach her arm, she jerked away from him.

"I'm fine." She said as she brushed past him.

"Serena you're bleeding." He said as he followed her. He glanced at Duo as he passed by him. "Go find Sally."

Duo just nodded his head before he made his exit out of her room. Shaking his head as he walked down the hallway. _Something definitely pissed her off. Crazy chick punching mirrors._

Serena had started pacing around the room when he turned back to her. "Serena what happened?" She continued to pace. Never looking at him. Her jaw was set and her hands were clenching and unclenching. After a moment of watching her with no response, he made his way over to her. "What happened?"

Serena felt his hands on her shoulders before he turned her around to face him. His green eyes were slightly hardened as he looked down at her. "Does it matter?"

"Yeah it does. You broke the mirror in the bathroom." Trowa kept his gaze hard. "What happened?"

She shrugged his hands off her shoulders before she ran her a hand through her hair. "I was set up. You were set up."

"What are you talking about?" Trowa watched as she started pacing again, this time he let her. She still hadn't answered him after a moment so he tried again. "Serena, you need to tell me what you're talking about."

"J played us. He fucking set this whole thing up." She stopped to look at him. Her eyes hard as she continued to speak. "There was no information at that base. It was only dates of when the Gundam's were constructed. Locations that corresponded with attack dates from the war." Serena came to stop in front of him. Her chest was heaving slightly as she tried to control herself.

Trowa saw something flash in her eyes. Running over what she had told him, he had come to one conclusion. "He wanted you to be captured by Preventers?"

"No. He wanted Heero and I to meet. He sent Heero those messages, using old coding. J knew that Heero would be the one to look into them. He just needed to plant the seed then let Heero figure out the rest." Serena ran a hand through her hair again. "I…" she started to say before the door to her room opened again.

Sally walked in, followed closely by Duo. Sally immediately went to stand in front of Serena as Trowa moved out of the way. "Duo tells me you decided to break some things." She said with her hands on her hips. She leveled Serena with a stern look. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my facility. Do I make myself clear?" Serena hardened her eyes but said nothing. "Good, now let me take a look at the damage. Go sit on the bed." Serena did as she was told while Sally gathered a few things to clean and wrap her hand. Trowa moved to stand against the wall while Duo watched on as Sally tended to Serena's hand. Within a few minutes the door opened again.

Heero stopped next to Duo as he looked around the room at everyone. "What happened?"

"Your _sister_ decided to go ape shit on the mirror in the bathroom. Cut her knuckles up pretty good." Duo said while snickering.

Heero glared at him. "She's not my sister."

"Yeah, whatever you say man." Duo smirked.

Heero didn't feel like pleasing Duo with a retort. Instead he shifted his eyes to the bathroom where the glass still lay all over the counter and floor. Turning his head back he looked at Serena who had turned away from him.

"Well good news, you don't need any stitches. But unfortunately I think we'll have to push the testing back. I…"

Serena cut her off. "I want to do it today."

Sally leveled her with another look. "Between your shoulder and now this, I don't think it's a good idea anymore."

"I'm fine. It's not anything I can't handle. I want to do the tests." Serena hardened her eyes at Sally. She didn't want to sit in this room anymore. She needed to get out even if she was going to be watched carefully. She had been trying to resist the urge to tear the room apart. She had even gone as far as to find a way out and now seemed like an even better time to up and leave Preventers. She didn't owe any of them anything.

"Fine. Heero and Trowa." Sally said turning to them. "Take Serena to our training warehouse. I'll meet you guys there."

Serena stood before making her way over to the door. She was ready to leave when Heero grabbed her arm. "You're going to wear a hooded sweatshirt. We can't let anyone see your face." Serena grumbled something under her breath as she walked back over to the bed. Sifting through the clothes she found one. Throwing it on she pulled the hood over her head. Letting her hair fall out to one side. "Better?" She said bitterly to Heero before once again making her way towards the door.

Heero stopped her again before tucking her hair inside the hood. "Drop the attitude and stay close." Heero growled. He moved in front of her as he opened the door. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Trowa was standing behind Serena. A blank expression on his face. The three left the room making their way to the stair well. Heero and Trowa flanking Serena on either side.

"So. Can I come?" Duo asked Sally after the three left.

Sally lifted a brow at him. "Don't you have something else to do?"

"Nah, that "paperwork" can wait. I wanna see what that girl can do." Duo said while throw a thumb over his shoulder. A sly grin on his face.

Sally rolled her eyes before moving to the door. "Fine. I just need to grab my things then we can head over." Before she she stepped through the doorway she looked over her shoulder at him. "By the way. When we get back you can clean up the mess Serena made."

Duo's jaw dropped open. "What?" No have her! She's the one who broke the damn mirror!"

"You're the one who wants to blow off doing _your job._ " She laughed as she let the door close behind her.

Duo scratched his head before letting his chin drop to his chest. "Why am I always the one to have to do the clean up work." He looked into the bathroom, glaring at the shards of glass before making his way out of the room.

* * *

 _Happy Friday! I know this chapter is shorter than the last one. But I needed to break it up somewhere. Hopefully I caught all my little errors as well. I know in past chapters I have missed some and to be honest I will probably continue to miss some lol. One day I will go through the whole story and correct them. Please R &R :) it's greatly appreciated and thank you to those who have reviewed so far! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Early Mother's day to all the Mom's out there! I hope you enjoy your day. I will be enjoying it with my husband and little girl. ;) yes I am a Mom! _

_-MM_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **New Respect**

Heero had Trowa drive them to the warehouse, that was just outside the city. It was large enough to house an array of training courses. There was a gym, a shooting range and not to mention the full obstacle course that was located on the top level. The warehouse used to be an old Mobile Suit hangar that was converted once the Agency started to grow. Preventers needed a location to test and train new recruits. The gym was open to any agent that wanted to go to it. But most preferred to use the one that was on site at HQ. It was centrally located which is why most used it. Including Heero and Trowa.

Once they arrived, Heero got out of the SUV before turning to Serena. He had sat in the back, preferring to keep a closer eye on her. "Stay here. Do not get out until we come back for you." Serena glared at him before turning her head away. "Trowa take the keys with you." Heero said before slamming the door shut.

Trowa turned around in the driver seat to look at Serena. Her face was a blank mask as she looked back at him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Was her only response.

Trowa watched her for a moment longer before getting out. Heero was waiting for him and based on his stance he wasn't happy. They needed to check the building to make sure no one was currently there that could possibly see Serena. They also needed to deactivate the security cameras as well.

There was only a handful of people in the building. Mainly the agents who were assigned to keep watch over the building. There weren't any training sessions scheduled for the day so Heero knew they had lucked out. Trying to get twenty to thirty people out of the building wouldn't have been so easy without a good excuse. Heero had Trowa go into the security room to take care of the cameras while he instructed the few agents to head back to HQ. Once he was satisfied they had all left he made his way back out to the parking lot. As he was walking outside he saw Sally pull in, along with Duo sitting in the passenger seat. The wide grin on his face as Sally parked them a few spaces away from his SUV. Another irritation that he wish he could do without, but at the moment there wasn't anything he could do about Duo being there.

Heero threw open the rear passenger door to his SUV when he arrived back at it. Part of him thought maybe Serena would have taken the opportunity to take off since she was left alone. To his surprise she was still sitting in the back with her arms crossed over her chest. "Are you ready?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Serena said as she slide out of the seat. Her feet weren't even on the ground more than a few seconds before he was throwing the hood of her sweatshirt back over her head. "Is that even necessary? We're the only ones here."

"We're not taking any chances." Heero glared at her before shutting the door. Serena shot him a look back before Duo and Sally came to join them.

"We all clear?" Sally asked Heero as she came to stand next to him.

"Hm." Heero nodded before turning on his heel.

The four entered the building. Meeting up with Trowa who was waiting in the lobby for them. Heero came to stand in front of him to inform him that he had called Une to let her know where they were and about the agents he sent back to HQ before he turned to Sally. "Where to first?"

"Gym." Sally said before placing a hand on Serena's shoulder. "We're gonna start with some basic training exercises." She watched as Serena nodded her head before she stepped away to follow Heero. Trowa falling into step next to her as they made their way towards the gym. She was curious herself to see what Serena was capable of, though she had a very good idea of what the results would be. While she had preferred it to be herself, Serena and either Heero or Trowa with them when they ran everything. She couldn't blame Duo for wanting to come. And from what she could tell, Trowa probably wouldn't of let her go without him. That was another thing Sally had been wondering about. He had been spending a lot of time with her. More than Heero did. She continued to watch from a few paces behind as Trowa lifted a hand, placing it on the small of Serena's back.

It didn't go unnoticed by Duo who moved closer to her before whispering. "Wonder what that's about? Makes you think huh?" She had to agree with him. Though it could be nothing more than Trowa acting how he normally would when escorting someone. He would do the same if it was Relena. Usually when he was stepping in for Heero to guard Relena. He would take it as serious as Heero would, which was why if Heero was needed for something else, he would send Trowa in his place.

Sally shook herself. She knew she shouldn't read into any of it. While Trowa was friendly with Serena, it didn't necessarily mean anything. Even from the video footage of their time together, she wasn't able to gather anything other than he trusted her and she trusted him to an extent. Serena was still a mystery in herself, but based on what knowledge she had of her, she was very much like Heero but with her own personality. She wasn't an exact copy, but pretty darn close. As they entered the gym she decided to start with the most basic test. While it was highly unnecessary, it would give her a gauging point to start with. Serena most likely had a high endurance level, but she still needed some idea of what and how far Serena's levels could reach. She knew either this first test would give her some idea or it would completely fail. Even under a mountain of stress, Heero and the other's could hold out without showing any signs. Serena would no doubt be the same.

Sally had instructed her to stretch and warm up her muscles while she moved a computer along with what looked to be wires. Serena figured that Sally was going to hook her up to the computer so she could see the readings in real time among some other things. To her, it was no different than if she was back with J. Same tests, same procedures, same results. Once she felt she was ready, Sally had her come meet her over by a treadmill. After a few minutes Sally had finished hooking her up with electrodes to monitor her heart rate, her breathing and her brain activity. Sally had asked her to remove her shirt so the wires weren't getting caught as she ran. She currently stood on the treadmill with her arms crossed over her chests. Clad only in shorts and a sports bra. She didn't really care who was looking at her but she could feel one particular pair of eyes studding her.

Duo had whistled when she removed her shirt. Earning him a couple of not so nice looks along with a threat from Heero. Heero himself had studied her for a moment before averting his eyes. But Trowa, his eyes had followed her every move. She caught glances of him out of the corner of her eye as Sally hooked up the electrodes. There was only one time when their eyes locked for a moment before he turned his head away from her. But as she stood waiting for further instructions she could still feel his eyes on her. Duo was busy talk to to Heero and Trowa stood just off to the side of her. His head may of been bowed but she knew he was looking at her from under his bangs.

He tried not to look. Not to stare at her. But he couldn't stop himself. He watched as she removed her shirt. Her whole body was toned. One might say to perfection if perfections truly existed. He had wondered if maybe that was J's goal with her. Each muscle was sculpted just right. Enough to hint of the possible underlying strength but not enough to take away from her feminine features. Trowa could only see her back at the moment but as she pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, he saw the muscles in her back contact with the movement. Her biceps weren't as large as one may think they would be, given the knowledge they had of her. In fact compared to Heero's, they were much smaller. They were slightly larger than Relena's but if they were in a gym working out together, no one would know the difference. He only knew this information from the few times Relena had wanted to use the gym when he was on duty. Heero had been working with her over the years. It was mainly so she would be able to handle herself in a situation where force may become necessary.

He watched as she turned slightly, enough for him to get a profile view of her. Her curves themselves were placed perfectly. From her breast to the curve of her hips. Perfectly defined in an hourglass shape. Then they locked eyes. He turned his eyes away knowing he had been caught by her. She hadn't said anything to him, so he figured he could try and look at her again. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she had her eyes closed. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed before moving his eyes down to her stomach. Her abs looked like the rest of her body. Defined enough without being overly defined. Compared to himself where he had worked hard to gain the muscle mass he had not only in his chest and arms. But also in his legs. Before joining Preventers full time he had still worked for the Circus with Catherine.

He needed not only the upper body strength but also a solid foundation in his core area and legs. He was still light on his feet and could still easily perform the same aerobatic maneuvers that he was known for. He had worked hard over the years to improve upon and maintain his body. Like the rest of them over the years, they had all grown into adulthood which resulted in each growing in height and strength. He was still the tallest out of the five and largest where muscle mass was considered. Heero and Wufei came in a close second to him. Both respectable in their size but based on genetics they were still slightly smaller. Quatre had even maintained his body. Though his job didn't require the necessity to stay physically strong, he still did odd jobs for Preventers when needed. Duo was another story. While he did work out and was able to grow and strengthen himself, no one was able to figure out how he could maintain the body he had. Based on his eating habits, one would believe him to be an inactive person, let alone a Preventer. Though Trowa had to give him credit. Duo was still able to keep up with them, especially when they would train together. He would complain but he was able to still hold his own and realistically size wise, he was slightly bigger than Heero and Wufei.

Trowa's thoughts were brought to a stop when Sally started to speak. "Alright Serena, you're all set. I'm going to have you start off slow getting a base reading then we'll pick up the pace." He lifted his head as Serena turned herself back around to face forward. Duo and Heero had stopped talking to move closer as Sally started up the treadmill. After ten minutes of her lightly jogging, Sally increased the speed. Heero had moved to stand next to Sally watching the computer screen as it showed Serena's currently stats. He was curious to see himself but he wanted to wait till she was fully running. Duo had joined them as Sally continued to increase the speed of the treadmill.

"Damn. That's her base reading and that's her current reading?" Duo asked as he turned to look at Serena quickly before looking at Sally.

"Yes, it's not shocking but still interesting." She replied back to him.

Trowa moved to see what they were looking at. Her base readings were the same as her current readings. The only thing that was slightly elevated was her heart rate. She was impressively controlling her breathing along with her brain activity. All were standard with their training and it seemed J had worked hard to make sure she was at the same level as they all were. It took enormous amounts of concentration to maintain what she was currently doing. Though with one glance, it was easy to see she wasn't trying very hard. Her face was masked as she looked ahead. He watched as Heero moved to stand next to her. He said something which caused Serena's face to harden as she started pushing herself harder. Turning back in time, he was able to catch the slight change that occurred in her readings. Her brain reading spiked for a moment along with her breathing and heart rate. He turned again as Heero told Sally to increase the speed. Serena's jaw was set and her legs worked harder to meet the demand of the machine.

"Why are you holding back?" Heero had asked her. She didn't choose to answer him and after he told Sally to speed things up more she was starting to get annoyed with him. She knew that he was trying to trigger her into showing them something. That was the point of all this. It wasn't that she didn't want to want, she could very easily do so. It was more of what her mind was thinking about. As she ran, she was trying to collect her thoughts. She was still angry from just a few hours ago and even though she had been running on the treadmill for an hour, it didn't seem to help her any. Now with Heero standing in her peripheral view she was starting to get agitated all over again.

"J trained you better than this." Heero knew she was holding back for whatever reason. Her readings weren't abnormal by any means. But he wanted to see more from her. She clearly established that she was very much capable of maintain her composer, even under the stress she was putting her body through. But what he really wanted to see what her mental stress would be.

"Whoa look at that!" Duo yelled. "Dude whatever you said actually did something."

"Shut it, Maxwell." Serena growl as she pushed herself.

"That wasn't very nice." Duo pouted at her.

"That was the point." She shot back at him.

Trowa watched as the readings would spike before coming back down to their normal levels. Her breathing had increased along with her heart rate. All normal for the work she was currently putting her body through. As he continued to monitor the screen he watched as all the readings spiked before flat lining. He spun around to see Serena had jumped off the treadmill staring at Heero. Her chest was heaving as her fist clenched and un-clenched.

"What the hell is your problem?" Serena glared at Heero.

"You could've done better." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You let outside influences affect your concentration."

"You're the one who had to come over here and start telling me what to do!" Her voice rose along with her anger.

"You were trained better than this. I expected more from you." Heero glared back at her. He wasn't really trying to start an argument with her. He was just stating the obvious.

Serena was about to say something back to him when Sally stepped in. "That's enough you two." She looked pointedly at both of them before continuing to speak. "I think we've seen enough. The results are what I expected them to be. Serena you have a high tolerance which we already knew, but it just solidifies that you're endurance levels match those of the guys." Serena eyed her for a moment. She knew who Sally was referring to. "Next, we're going to test your strength."

Sally was starting to wonder if the test she was running were truly worth it. She was putting Serena through the standard tests they ran on new recruits to find their strengths and weaknesses. It was becoming obvious that Serena lacked in any real weaknesses. She had her doing everything from push-ups to even planking. All the results were showing was that she was in excellent shape and matching the same results as the guys. She was comparing files when she looked back up to Serena. She looked irritated still and it was most likely because Heero had been saying things to her the whole time. Though on Serena's part, she was doing a hell of a job trying to ignore him. There were a few times where her mask did slipped. But overall she was staying calm. Deciding that the normal tests weren't really going to so show anything different, Sally played with the idea of allow Serena to do something else.

"Serena." Sally addressed her as she came to stand next her. "There's just one more test I'd like to run to test your strength. You have two options weights or boxing?"

"Boxing" Serena said as her lips curled up. Punching something would be nice. Or rather someone at the moment as she turned to look at Heero.

Sally figured she'd go for the latter. Though she wasn't thrilled considering her shoulder wasn't fully healed along with her knuckles being torn up. But she also knew trying to stop her wasn't really an option. "Very well, but I want to tape up your hands and if you're shoulder starts to feel strained you're going to stop. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah." Serena said as she kept her gaze locked on Heero. If he wanted to see more of what she could do so badly then he'd get exactly that.

* * *

They had been watching as Serena continuously hit the punching bag. Duo's words were correct in the matter of "she looks like she's trying to kill the damn thing." Sally wasn't even sure how much more the bag along with the sensors could take. Which each punch, kick and knee to the bag, Serena was clearly showing her true strength. She may of been tiny by comparison but she definitely could _pack a punch_.

"Wow! She's got one hell of a left hook!" Duo whistled. "Shit, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one."

No one said anything as they kept watching the sensor readings on the screen along with watching her every movement. There was no doubt that she could stand her own along with probably do some damage to someone if she choose to fight this way. Her chest was heaving but Sally hadn't bothered to put the electrodes back on her to track her heart rate or breathing. There wasn't a need to since it was obvious that the readings would be different as Serena threw all her energy into what she was doing. Unfortunately everything came to a halt when Serena swung her leg up into the bag knocking it off it's chain. Everyone's head had shot up to see her standing still, trying to control her breathing as she stared down at the punching bag.

She knew that she had maybe gone fifteen minutes before she knocked the bag down. She had lost herself with each throw of her arms and legs. Every thought of the past few years along with what she had learned this morning and Heero's taunting, drove her to throw herself into every move. While Sally was trying to run test, she had looked at everything as just a workout. It was easier for her to disassociate the two so she could concentrate. But maybe that was her downfall. Sally wasn't looking to improve her, but yet she still found herself trying her hardest to show that she was perfect. There was no need to improve her skills. Between her thoughts and anger she had completely lost focus of what the end goal was. She wasn't even sure and as the minutes had passed she had completely forgotten what she was truly supposed to be doing. She was working with her basic instincts to fight. Somewhere along the way, the lines blurred and she completely gave into those instincts. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she reacted. She swung herself around as her fist came up. She stopped just short of Trowa's face as he looked at her. She had been so consumed in her own thoughts, that she hadn't noticed him approaching her.

"Sorry." She said quickly pulling her hand back to her side.

Trowa was surprised with how she reacted for a moment before he schooled his face. They had been trying to talking to her but when she wasn't responding, he had moved to break her out of whatever thoughts she was having. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just was lost in thought. Sorry again." She said as she turned her head away from him.

"It's fine, no harm done." He smiled softly as she glanced at him.

"No harm done? Dude she just destroyed that bag and probably broke almost all the sensors on it." Duo said as he came to stand next them. "Damn Rena, you're stronger than you look. Gotta give it to you though. I wouldn't want to be up against you in a fist fight."

"Rena?" Serena lifted her brow at him. _Did he just call me that?_

"Ignore him." Sally waved her hand. "Though you did break a few sensors, the results were impressive. Though I wouldn't doubt them based on knowing your background."

"I'll pay for everything to be fixed."

Sally shook her head. "No need to do. We're government funded. Replacing equipment is normal." She watched as Serena's face deadpanned. "Really, I appreciate your offer to replace it but it's not necessary."

Heero had stayed back watching. He wasn't happy with the fact that Serena had tried to hit Trowa but she had caught herself in the error. She had control over herself but whatever she had been thinking about had her off guard. He had a feeling it was most likely from earlier in the day and not to mention him trying to get her to work harder. She had lived up to the standards that he knew J had placed on her, but she had also exceeded those expectations as well. From what he understood from their past conversations, it was true that J along with ROE improved upon the basic foundation of what he was when training her. Though from what he could tell she was lacking with her constraction. She was distracting herself.

"We should have her run through the obstacle course." Duo started to say.

"What's the point in that?" Serena said.

Sally thought on it for a moment but it would give her some time to prep for another exercise she had in mind. "Actually, that's not a bad idea." She smiled at Serena, "it'll test your problem solving skills. While I don't think we necessarily need to do it, it wouldn't hurt any. It's composed of regular endurance training along with strength as well. But there's a few hidden surprises." She said with a wink.

Serena lifted her brow but slowly she nodded her head. She wasn't sure what she was getting into. Though she didn't think that it'd be difficult. "Good. I'd like one of you to run the course with her." Sally turned to look at Duo and Trowa.

Trowa was about to volunteer before Heero beat him to it. "I'll do it."

"Oh! This will be good! Yuy vs...uh what's your last name Rena?" Duo's grin had faded as he realized he had actually never learned her last name.

She glared at him. "It's Lowell."

The joy returned to his face as he grinned again. "Yuy vs Lowell! Brother vs sister!"

"We're not siblings, you _idiot._ " Heero and Serena locked eyes as they both spoke in unison.

"Ha! Goes to show that you are! It's gotta be some twin-telepathy or something. Though you're not twins… but whatever it works." Duo watched as they both rolled their eyes at him. "See! Even mimicking the same actions." He received a glare from both of them but nether said another word.

"Okay, Duo's that's enough. Heero why don't you change and we'll meet you there." Sally said. Heero nodded his head before heading to the locker room. "Let's go. Serena you can rest a little plus I think we need to re-bandaged your hand."

* * *

Once Sally had re-wrapped her hand and Trowa had brought her some water and a towel. She was given an overview of the courses as she dried the sweat off her face and neck. The course itself was designed to help train and improve the agents who would be working out in the field. While in normal situations, such extremes like scaling walls by hand wasn't normal, Serena was impressed with the thought that was put into the design of the course. She had learned that the five of them helped create it. Une had gotten all of their input and Quatre's company built it. The walls themselves were able to be moved to change the layout to increase the difficulty along with simply changing the layout once training Preventers learned it and easily were able to bypass the traps. Though what the traps were, weren't being known to her. She understood why but it did intrigue her interest. She had done similar training to what Sally was explaining to her. From where they were standing it looked like the floor was made up of multiple rooms. But as Sally explained on that there were different path ways which would lead to different sections along with different ways of how to get to those paths. The goal was to reach two check points. One in the center and one at the very far end of the floor. She had been looking at everything from their advantage point above the course. She was mapping out a rough route to take but since more than half the course wasn't visible from where she stood, it made calculating everything harder.

"You won't be able to figure it out from here." A deep voice came from behind her.

"Hm. I can see that. You ready?" She said turning to face Heero. He nodded his head as he said over his shoulder to Sally that they'd be moving down to the starting point. Leading Serena down a hallway before entering a stairwell, he knew she had been trying to map out the course. She was calculated like him. She'd think of every possible route, but not knowing the layout first hand would be more difficult. Which is why he wanted to run it with her. He wanted to see how she thought on her feet. Once they were at the starting point, he turned to her. "Sally will be monitoring us and she'll start the clock once we enter." Serena nodded her head in understanding. "Whenever you're ready." He said.

She started walking towards the door that lead into the course itself. "Seems you're still a fan of shorts and a tank top." She threw over her shoulder as she opened the door. A smirk on her face before she took off in a sprint.

* * *

Heero didn't have time to say anything as he was forced to start running. He had run the course many of times but every time it was different. This time it was no different. He caught up to Serena who was taking random turns. Sally hadn't turned on the pop out figures since they weren't running it with weapons, but she made sure that there were plenty of traps. After only a few minutes they had run into their first. It looked like a dead end which it could possibly be. But he watched as Serena looked around before running her fingers over the wall. She turned and smirked at him as she started to pull the wall away. "This is supposed to be a trap?" She said as she moved it enough to get through.

"There's more don't worry." He said as she squeezed himself through the small opening.

"Tell me they get harder, that was too easy." She yelled as she continued to run.

Not even two minutes later, they were running side by side before both of them fell through an opening in the floor. Both landed on their feet and looked up where the dim lighting shown through the opening.

"A trick floor? Seriously? You couldn't think of something better?" She said as she placed her hands on her hips. "This is child's play Heero."

* * *

"What's she saying now?" Duo said as he turned his head to Trowa and Sally. They had been sitting watching them on the monitors. Both shrugged at him. "Beats me. But she doesn't look happy." Sally said.

"She may not think it's challenging enough." Trowa supplied. "If you think about it, we tend to get through the course easily. Why would it be any different for her?"

"You have a point there. Whoa look at that!" Duo said while pointing to the screen.

Serena was scaling the wall with her hands and feet on either side of herself before pulling herself over the edge once she reached the top.

"That didn't take her long. Though Heero doesn't look too happy." Sally said as they watched Heero do the same. Trowa smirked to himself as he saw Serena run down a hallway before turning. The time it took Heero to get out of the hole gave Serena enough time to put some distance between them.

"Wonder what he's going to do now. Rena's almost at the first checkpoint." Duo said aloud.

"You know she doesn't like that you've given her a nickname, right?" Trowa asked him.

"And how would you know? She hasn't said anything yet." Duo asked back as he turned his chair to face him. "Did she say something to you?"

"No. But it's easy to see that she doesn't like it." Trowa said before turning his attention back to the monitors.

"Regardless if she likes it or not, the name is staying." Duo said folding his arms over his chest.

"If she hits you, don't come crying to me, Maxwell. Now pay attention. I think things are going to become more interesting." Sally said.

"Yeah, yeah. Why what happened?" Duo turned his chair around to see the screen. "Hey wait where did she go?" A confused look coming on his face.

* * *

Heero had lost her after they fell through the trick floor. As he reached the first checkpoint the light was already on. She had made it there before him. Hitting the button himself to signaled that he had reached it as well, he stopped to listen to see if he could hear anything. Everything was quiet. He wondered if she got stuck at another hidden trap. Deciding that it was best to keep moving he took off running again. As he continued on his way he fell victim to a few more traps. He had to climb another wall, hit a dead end and finally he had to find the hidden passageway through a four wall room. Part of him was starting to get annoyed with the fact that he had hit so many. But also the fact that Serena was right. It was child's play. It was too easy to figure out how to solve the problem before moving on. Once he made it past the last one he entered the last room where he found Serena sitting on a platform smirking at him.

"Took you long enough." She said as she jumped down.

He walked up to the last checkpoint, hitting the button. "How did you get here so fast?"

He watched as she pointed up to the ceiling. As he looked up he noticed the vent. Snapping his head back down he saw as her smirk grow wider. "You went through the vents?"

She wanted to laugh at him. He was glaring at her. "Yeah, it was easier. Though I do recommend redoing the course. I saw several times where I could access the vents with ease. Not to mention, the course itself isn't that hard."

Thinking it over, she was right. "You used the wall to scale up to one of the openings." It made sense. He had to climb the same wall, there was a vent placed close enough to open and climb in. That was why he never heard her. She had taken the easiest route and crawling could be done quietly enough. He watched as she smiled at him before turning to the door. The light had turned green signaling that they could open it.

* * *

Duo was still laughing when Heero and Serena returned. After she had disappeared, they had watched as she opened the vent to the last room, swinging down she smirked at the camera mounted in the corner before hitting the button and taking a seat. Waiting for Heero to catch up. "I can't believe she did that!" He was in tears as he kept laughing. "Man, she leaves your ass in a hole then takes off to beat you time wise! She's currently holding the fastest time!"

Heero glared at Duo, but as he looked at Sally, it became clear that Duo's statement was indeed correct. "Sorry Heero." Sally said as she tried not to laugh. "She does hold the current fastest time."

"You held the last one?" Serena said next to him. She watched as he turned his head to look at her. He said nothing as he just stared at her.

"Here." Both swung their heads to see Trowa holding two towels along with two water bottles. Accepting them Heero moved to talk quietly with Sally. Trowa watched as Serena wiped her face before throwing the towel around her neck. "That was impressive."

"Hm?"

"You're quick on your feet."

"Oh. It wasn't hard to figure out. I could of gone through the hassle of maneuvering my way through. But the vents was just the smarter choice." She said before taking a sip of water.

He was about to say something when the door opened to the control room for the course. "What did you want Sally?" Wufei said before he stopped dead in his tracks. He locked eyes with a female with deep blue eyes for a moment before turning to look at Sally. "You called me here for this?" Serena lifted her brow as she watched him. His face went from shocked to angry as he started making his way over to Sally. "Do you think I take jokes lightly?"

Sally lifted her own brow. "It's not a joke."

"Well then explain her." Wufei said point to Serena. "And the rest of you." He said as he looked at Duo, Heero and Trowa, "you all knew about this?"

No one said anything till they heard someone start to laugh. Everyone turned to look at Serena who was laughing aloud. "What makes this so funny?" Wufei yelled at her while crossing his arms over his chest. It only made Serena laugh harder. He glared at her before she turned away trying to control herself.

"Are you okay?" Trowa asked her quietly.

Between her laughter she tried to speak. "Yeah… it's just…" She started to laugh again. "How could he not know something was going on? I mean Duo even figured it out!" She said while holding her stomach.

Trowa turned to look at Wufei who was anything but pleased, but then he too started to laugh. It made perfect sense. Out of all of them, Serena was right. Wufei should've known something was up before Duo caught on.

"Barton, I expected better of you. Also, some of us actually do our jobs. Not just running around, ignoring our duties." Wufei said before turning back to Sally. "Start explaining."

Sally sighed before shaking her head. She dove in to give Wufei the shortened version, which in the end didn't seem to make him any happier. He had gone off on all of them including Serena who only just laughed more at him. When she asked if he would spare with Serena, he simple threatened her before telling her to have Duo do it. That he wasn't that stupid as to go up against Serena not to mention he didn't spare against woman. Which was true. He never did against the female agents. It wasn't to be sexist but it was simply that he knew he was stronger and that could potentially lead to one for them getting hurt.

"Are you scared?" Serena said after his rant ended.

"No, I'm not. I'm just not blind enough to see through that smile of yours."

"Then why not spare against me?" She placed her hands on her hips. "I don't bite."

He didn't enjoy the teasing or the questionings she was doing. "I don't spare with females." He stated again.

"Then don't view me as one." She shot back.

"You're clearly female, how do you suppose I do such a thing."

"That is true, but you and I are on equal playing fields." She smirked at him.

He watched her carefully. He knew without a doubt that she'd come up with another retort to his answer. Weighing his options he came to a decision. "Fine. But if you get hurt in any way, do not complain." He said before walking past her. "I'll be down in the gym."

Everyone looked shocked as Serena turned her head back to look at them. Duo's mouth was open and even Heero had a shocked expression on his face. "What?"

"You just got Wu to agree to something he NEVER does!" Duo said throwing up his hands. "How the hell did you do that!?"

She didn't quite understand how they all didn't figure it out. "He couldn't give me a good enough reason not to…."

"What the hell do you mean by that!?" Duo continued to look dumbfounded at her.

"What she's saying is, no matter how many time's Wufei tried to reason his way out of it, none the answers were good enough. He has no real excuse to say no to her." Trowa said. He thought about it and it was clear from the brief conversation Serena and Wufei had. No matter what answer he gave her, it was never going to be good enough. Serena was right, they were equal as far as their skills went. Wufei couldn't really use his normal excuses of "possibly hurting one of the female agents."

"Ah, yeah I guess that makes sense. Ha! Don't hurt him too bad Rena. Don't want to bruise his ego. Though maybe I should warn him about your left hook." Duo said as he walked by her. Giving her a wink as he did so.

"If you keep calling me that, I'm going to show you my left hook." She said under her breath.

"What was that?" Duo stopped to turn to her before opening the door.

"Nothing, tell him what you want." She smiled at him before following Sally and Heero who had walked up behind him. He said nothing as he opened the door for them.

"That wasn't very nice." Trowa whispered playfully to her as they walked down the stairs, heading back to the gym. He watched as she shrugged her shoulders before turning a smile to him.

Once they were back in the gym, they made their way over to the sparing mat. Wufei was standing in the middle waiting. His arms were crossed over his chest with his eyes closed. He had removed his Preventers jacket and shoes, but choose not to changes his clothes. Serena kicked off her shoes as she placed her towel and water down on a bench. She caught Trowa's eye before moving to the mat. She came to stand a few feet from Wufei. "Any rules?"

"Standard." He said without meeting her eyes.

She nodded her head. "No holding back?"

Wufei allowed a small smirk, "if that's what you want."

"Then come at me."

Wufei lifted his head to see her standing with one hand on her hip. She wasn't even in the proper defense position. "Well?" She said again. He watched her for a moment before taking his position. She still hadn't moved and he was starting to wonder what her tactic was. It wasn't until he initiated the match that he saw. She had dodged his attack before spinning herself around. Sending her right arm at him. He was able to move fast to block her hand with his arm as he sent his own fist at her. She easily blocked him before turning herself to swing her leg to try and knock him off balance. She used the moment to send her elbow at him. Blocking her attack he tried to get some space between them. But she was good. She kept them close as they went shot for shot. It wasn't until he tried to knock her off her feet that she did a back hand sprain dodging him. When she righted herself she took her defensive position smirking at him. She was able to anticipate each of his moves before they came. But she didn't give him enough time to think on the matter as she came at him again.

"What is she not good at? Seriously! And look at how flexible she is! Damn I could never bend that far back." Duo had been making such comments the whole time. Though It was interesting to watch. They were both matching each other, but Heero noticed something that Duo had yet to comment on. Serena had left her right side wide open several times. And Wufei had left his left side open. But Serena hadn't made any move to try and hit him. There was no way she hadn't of noticed. Unless either of them was waiting for one of them to make the first move. It wasn't took much longer before he got his answer. Serena had swung her leg out. Causing Wufei to fall on his back.

He stared up at her as she stood heaving slightly above him. She said nothing before holding out her hand to him. Wufei only glared at her. He didn't want her help. "I'm honored you allowed me to spare with you, Wufei." He looked at her confused for a moment before accepting her hand. She pulled him up into a standing position.

"Really." She said as they locked eyes. "I meant what I said. You're as good as I've been told you were."

Wufei nodded his head. "Can I ask one thing?" He watched as she nodded her head. "Why did you leave your right side open?"

Serena smirked at him before responding. "Why did you leave your left side open?"

"Fair enough." He backed up a step before bowing to her. When he stood up he watched as she did the same, before they walked off the mat.

"That's it!?" Duo said as they came closer. "No round two, no nothing!?" Duo couldn't believe Serena had won, though part of it wasn't surprising.

"Maxwell, one round is good enough. She beat me. That's the end of it." Wufei said as he grabbed his jacket and shoes. "Now if you don't all mind. I need to return to my job. I suggest you all do the same."

Duo gaped at him before looking at Serena who only shrugged. Trowa had returned with her sweatshirt and another water bottle for Wufei who came to stand next to them.

"Until next time Chang." Serena said to him.

"Next time I won't go so easy on you Lowell." He offered her a rare smile before accepting the water from Trowa before making his way out of the gym.

"Wait! Did you two just agree to spare again!?" Duo couldn't believe what he heard.

Serena had only offered him a smirk as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head. Trowa found it interesting that in the short amount of time Wufei had been around Serena, that she somehow had gained his respect. It took all of them time to earn it themselves but yet one sparring match against him, landed her on his good side. He looked up to see Heero staring and when they locked eyes, it seemed evident that he was feeling the same way.

"Whatever the case, Wufei is right. We should head back to HQ. It's already two o'clock." Sally watched as everyone nodded their heads before making their way out.

* * *

 _Happy Saturday! I know I'm a day late? Well this past week has been a little crazy and I didn't have the time to sit down and edit this chapter. But luckily it's done! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend and I know this is a random spot to stop a chapter at but it's longer than the last one. Please R &R and have a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

First Attempt Made

Heero, Serena and Trowa had driven back together. Even against Duo's protest to go with them. Heero had blatantly told him no before climbing into the driver's seat after shutting Serena's door. Trowa was going to sit in the back with Serena but Heero said there was no need to. Trowa figured maybe Heero was starting to come around and trust that Serena wasn't going to run off. It wasn't long into the drive back that Heero's phone began to ring. Without bothering to check the caller ID he answered. "Yuy."

"There's a situation at the Capitol building. You need to get there immediately." Une said quickly.

"What do you mean there's a situation?" Heero asked as he changed directions to head towards the ESUN building.

"Agent Watson has taken Relena captive."

Heero said nothing before hanging up his phone. Stepping on the gas he drove as fast as he could. Thoughts racing through his mind as his heart rate started to increase.

"What's going on?" Trowa asked eyeing Heero.

"Watson's taken Relena captive."

"Why would Watson do that? Has he made any demands?" Trowa asked.

"None as far as I know." Heero said as he swerved around a car. Serena watched him carefully before darting her eyes to Trowa. The name Watson was familiar to her.

Within a few minutes they were stopped right outside of the ESUN Capitol building. Heero and Trowa quickly checked their guns before getting out of the SUV. Serena was about to open the door when Heero stopped her.

"Stay here." He said before slamming his door shut. Trowa said nothing as he ran after Heero who took off up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.

Serena watched them for a moment before turning to look in the front seat. Heero had taken the keys with him. She turned her head back to the building where people were still filing out of the building. Making the decision quickly she started looking through the vehicle. She checked the back seats before looking into the trunk. Not finding anything she moved up into the front passenger seat. Opening the glove box she smiled to herself before grabbing the item. After a quick check she exited the vehicle making a run for the building. Once inside she turned to her left running to the stairwell. She knew the building's layout like the back of her hand. Taking the stairs as fast as she could while trying to dodge people. She shook her head as she continued her way up. They should've had the building on lockdown. Not letting people run scared and causing more of a situation. After a few more minutes she was on the fifth floor. Pushing the door open, she slowly entered the hallway.

* * *

Relena had been working away at her desk all morning. While she was getting some work done, it didn't stop her mind from wandering to other thoughts. When she had gone to see Serena, she wasn't expecting the sight that greeted her. Nor did it help when Serena had realized something about the data her and Heero had been working on all night. Heero, himself didn't seem pleased either and he had refused to talk about it on the ride over to her office. She had tried to get him to open up, but all he told her was that they would speak about it later on today.

Relena wasn't completely unaware of what might have crossed their minds. She knew J had created Serena, from speaking with her and Heero verifying the information. Based on that and the reaction she witnessed, she was able to gather that it was possibly J who had set up the plan for Heero and Serena to somehow meet. While Relena wasn't completely informed on what was going on in Preventers, she still had some knowledge. It was her job after all to know most of this information but still some things were kept secret but Heero usually filled in the blanks for her.

She stopped working to further think back on some information Heero had told her. She knew about the e-mails. Which lead to the mission and in turn lead to them meeting Serena. But what were the chances that Serena would get hurt enough for one of them to find her in the building? Timing was everything in this world and she knew that all too well. Was it fate that brought them together? Relena shook her head no. It wasn't completely fate that had done it. J had laid his hand of cards out for all to see and the pieces fell into place perfectly. But the question that bothered her the most was why would J do such a thing? Why send Serena to be found by Preventers in the first place? There was more to this story than what was being told to her. And after this morning she knew that she needed to find out some more answers. From either Heero or Serena herself. She was starting to like Serena as well. They hadn't spent much time together but Relena could see herself becoming close with Serena.

Her musing was cut short when the door to her office opened. Agent Watson, who was currently on her guard detail for the day came in.

"Agent Watson," Relena quickly addressed him. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Why yes there is." Watson's lips curled up slightly as he made his way over to Relena's desk.

Relena stiffened slightly in her chair as she watched him. Something was off about the way he was looking at her. Before she had any real time to react, a gun was thrusted into her face. "You're going to come with me." he said as his lips curled up more into a wicked smile.

"What do you want from me?" Relena asked as she stayed seated.

"We are going to change the world as we know it, Ms. Darlian."

"What do you mean by that?"

Watson gestured with his gun for her to stand up. "The start of the revolution is upon us. And you, will be the first one to see the beginning of the end of the ESUN."

* * *

Heero and Trowa were already on the fifth floor. They had finally found Watson with Relena walking slowly down the hallway. Heero and Trowa had their weapons trained on him as he finally stopped at an intersection on the floor. Relena was remaining calm from what Heero could tell. She kept her eyes on him while Watson's gun was pressed against her temple.

"Let her go Watson." Heero said.

"You and I both know I can't do that." Watson said with a wicked smile.

"You don't have to do are other ways of solving a conflict." Relena said evenly. She could feel her heart racing but she knew she needed to keep herself calm and collected.

"Shut up." Watson said pushing the gun into her head more.

Trowa was moving slowly as he tried to get a better shot at Watson. They just needed one clean shot and they could end this. Trowa was about to lift his foot when Watson yelled. "Don't even think about moving or I'll end her life right here, right now."

Heero glanced at Trowa as they both made eye contact. They needed to get Watson to move enough for one of them to take a shot at him, but without the risk of hitting Relena. Heero turned his eyes back to look at Relena. He was proud at how well she was handling herself. She hadn't taken her eyes off him. "What do you want?" Heero said as he moved his eyes back to Watson.

"ESUN needs to fall and if this is the only way to do it, then I'll gladly do it."

"What do you mean?" Trowa asked.

"Relena won't be needed in the new world we're about to create. If this marks the first step in obtaining that, then I'll…."

Heero and Trowa's eyes went wide as they saw Watson jerk as a gunshot rang out in the hallway. Relena had felt Watson release the gun from her head. Even with the gunshot ringing still in her ears she moved to run towards Heero. She didn't know what had happened but she knew she shouldn't look back. Heero had grabbed her once she was close enough, throwing her behind him as he raised his own gun. Trowa was about to move when another shot rang out. Watson had tried to go for his gun before it was shot away from him.

* * *

Serena held her weapon firmly as she slowly approached. She was watching Watson closely. She hoped that her second shot had been enough of a warning. He was clutching his side where she had hit him the first time. She kept on advancing towards him till she was close enough to lower herself to retrieve his gun. Tucking it behind her back she continued moving closer to him.

"You bitch!" Watson yelled between gasps. He had a hand pressed against his side.

Serena eyed him before grabbing a hold of him. Flipping him onto his stomach she dropped down pressing a knee into his back. Using her gun she hit his hand away as he tried to hold his side again. "It's just a flesh wound. You'll survive." Serena deadpanned as she turned her head.

"Flesh wound!? You fucking shot me you bit…." Watson yelled out in pain as Serena pushed the barrel of her gun into his side.

"You just gonna stare at me or are you going to cuff him?" Serena lifted a brow at Heero and Trowa. They were still in shock from seeing her come around the corner. Trowa had lowered his gun the second he saw her. Heero had his still raised till he dropped his arms making his way over to her and Watson. Trowa looked up to see several other Preventer Agents making their down the hallway before he turned his attention back to Heero and Serena. He watched as Serena turned her head to the sound of the foot steps before Heero jerked her up into a standing position.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Heero growled at Serena as he moved her away from Watson who was now being handled by two other agents.

Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "I came to help."

"You disobeyed my orders. I told you to stay in the car." Heero seethered.

Serena jerked her arm away from him but said nothing. She watched him as he reached around her back. Heero tucked the gun behind his own back before reaching to grab the one that was still in Serena's hand. "Where the hell did you get this?" He said as he lifted the gun in front of her.

"Glove box."

Heero glared at her. It was his own fault. He should've taken it out but he didn't. "Go back to the car and wait for us." Heero said in a low growl. He was angry at himself and at her. She held out her hand glaring back him. "What?" He asked when she said nothing to him.

"I locked the doors before I got out. I need the keys to get back in." She said as she kept her hand out.

Heero closed his eyes for a second before he moved the gun in his hand to his holster. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the keys dropping them into her hand. "Get in the back seat and don't move. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, whatever you say." Serena said as she walked past him towards Trowa and Relena.

Duo and Sally had finally made to the floor as they watched Serena walk away from Heero. The two glanced at each other. They had been a few cars behind them when they saw them change direction. Duo had gotten the call soon after from Une. What they didn't know was that Serena had come inside the building with Heero and Trowa.

Heero watched Serena as she passed by Trowa who tried to speak to her but she refused to make eye contact with him. He caught Relena glaring at him before he looked back to Serena. "Put your hood on!" Heero yelled at her retreating back.

Everyone turned to look at Serena as she lifted the hood to cover her hair and most of her face. But as she lowered her hands she kept one finger up for a moment before dropping her hand to her side.

"Did she just give Heero the finger?" Duo asked as he watched Serena enter a stairwell.

Sally lifted a brow. She wasn't sure what to make of this one. "Yeah. I think she did."

Duo busted out laughing before he catch sight of Heero glaring at him. Relena was covering her mouth with her hands while her eyes went wide. Trowa shook his head as he turned away from Heero. Sally tried not to laugh as Wufei came to stand next to her. "I give her some credit." Was all he said before moving past her to speak with Heero and Trowa. Watson was complaining about being shot as two agents dragged him away.

Heero couldn't believe how the whole situation was playing out. He instructed Wufei to go with Watson back to HQ and to have Sally go to check on the gunshot wound he had received from Serena. After he had checked Relena who claimed to be fine and wanted to return back to work even after what had happened. He didn't like the idea of Relena returning to her office and had wanted her to come back with him so he could watch over her and least put his own mind at ease. But that wasn't the end of all of this. It only went downhill from there.

The President of ESUN Frederick Klein, had come down from his office and was speaking with Duo before coming to check on Relena. He told Heero he was grateful for the agent who took Watson down without any real bloodshed. He had asked where she was and that he wanted to personally thank her for protecting their Foreign Minister along with keeping the integrity of Preventers intact with her quick thinking.

Heero had no idea what to tell the President. Lucky for him, Relena quickly addressed the question. She told Klein that she had taken Watson back to HQ and that they could set up a time to properly thank her. Heero had shot her a look but her little white lie did seem to satisfy the man. He nodded his thanks before moving away from them. It didn't take Preventers long to secure the scene along with getting everyone back into the building. Trowa had reminded Heero that Serena was waiting in the car for them since he didn't allow her to stay. He had tried again to have Relena return with him to HQ but she had refused. She said she'd have Duo bring her later. She didn't want to send the wrong message that she was unable to continue to work even after being almost kidnapped.

Heero knew that he should've known better than to think she'd be anything but stubborn when it came to her work. He only decided to leave since Duo agreed to stay with her. There was only a few hours left in the work day so he reluctantly left her in Duo's hands.

When Heero and Trowa arrived back to the SUV after an hour. They found Serena sitting in the back with her arms crossed. Heero got into the driver seat before looking into the rearview mirror. "You think that was cute?" Her little stunt didn't go unnoticed by him and he was still unhappy with how everything happened. She had been exposed and that was the last thing he, or any of them needed.

Serena smirked as she met his eyes. "At least someone thinks I'm cute."

Heero grumbled something before starting up the engine. Trowa lifted a brow as he turned to look at her from the passenger seat. She simply shrugged before turning to look out the window. The smirk still on her face.

When she knew Trowa had turned back around in his seat, she let the smirk fall. She had made it in time to hear Watson say that the fall of ESUN would start with Relena. She was never supposed to die for the cause. Why would they change that aspect? She thought to herself as she watched the scenery out the window. Something wasn't right and she was wondering if it could of been because of her.

* * *

When they had arrived back at HQ, Heero had said nothing to Serena as they walked back into the building. Trowa tried not to read too much into it at the moment. But not even a minute after they had stepped back inside that Une had stopped them.

"Barton, Lowell and Yuy. My office now." She said before turning on her heel walking to the elevator. She held the doors as the three filed in. Heero had pulled Serena's hood over her head again. Gaining another glare from her.

The silence in the elevator was deafening. No one spoke. The tension was so thick, one could cut through it with a knife. Heero and Serena stood as far apart as possible. Une had stood at the front with her arms crossed glaring at the numbers as they rose. Trowa ended up being pushed into the corner since Serena and Heero were trying to not to be in arm's reach of each other. He had placed a hand on her back for a moment to try and reassure her. She hadn't acknowledge him verbally. Only glancing at him before the doors opened.

Une stepped off the elevator first, turning left towards her office. Heero followed after her while reminding Serena to stay close. Trowa dropped his hand as she pulled away from him. She kept her arms crossed as they walked down the hallway. A few people had stopped to stare but none of them said anything till after they passed. Trowa could hear them whispering before they entered Une's office.

Trowa had barely gotten the door shut before Une let loose on them. "Do any of you care to explain what the hell happened?" She locked eyes with each of them. Serena had removed her hood from her head once they were inside her office. "I got a lovely call from the President. While normally to get any kind of praise from him is a good sign that we're doing our jobs right, this time it isn't. He has asked for a meeting with the agent who stopped Watson." Une watched as Serena smirked slightly before schooling her face. "What am I supposed to tell him? Hm?"

When no one said anything she sighed before sitting down. "Look, Serena I do appreciate what you did but I cannot have you running around playing 'Preventer'. I've allowed you to stay but you need to be staying under the radar." Une watched as her face hardened. She opened her mouth before Serena cut her off.

"With all due respect, Watson would of killed Relena. You're lucky he didn't just do it in her office." She received a glare from Heero.

"Why do you think that?" Une questioned. She ignored the looks Heero was giving Serena.

"Relena was never supposed to be killed. Her role is too valuable to just simply kill her. The organization needs her, and needs her alive."

Heero turned grabbing a hold of Serena. "What did you just say?"

"She was never supposed to get hurt. They need her to sway the people of Earth and the Colonies."

Heero tightened his told as he ignored Une and Trowa's protests to let Serena go. "Why didn't you tell me she was a target?"

Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "You think I'd let them hurt her? When you said Watson had taken her, it set off alarms in my head. I didn't know they had sent someone to infuriate Preventers."

"Are you telling me the truth or only half of it?" He growled at her.

"I didn't know someone was going to target her. If I did, I would've said something." Serena prided his hands off of herself before pushing him away. "I wouldn't let them hurt her."

Trowa moved to pull Serena a few steps away from Heero. He kept his hands on her shoulders as Heero and her stared each other down. "Tell them what you just told me."

"Edwards is the leader of ROE." Serena started as she turned to face Une. "I know of Watson but I'm not sure he knows who I am. Chances are he won't give up any information. I didn't know they were sending people to infiltrate Preventers. Though it does make sense in the grand scheme of things. Their goal is to take control of ESUN but Relena was to be a key figure in their plan. No harm was to come to her."

Heero wasn't expecting Serena to tell them what she had. "Keep going." He said in a low voice.

Serena glanced at him before looking back at Une. "They need her to sway the Earth and Colonies. They know the kind of influence she could have over them. Once they have control of her, I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

Une pinched the bridge of her nose. This wasn't how her second meeting with Serena was supposed to go. "Is there anything else you can tell me?" She asked.

"They want to become the new ruling Government. Which shouldn't surprise you. After the war, Edwards starting forming his own body of soldiers. With each dismantling of tried organizations he gained more people. Didn't matter whose side you fought on during both wars. If they were against the currently ruling of ESUN, they joined his cause."

"And who is Edwards?" Une stopped Serena for moment before she let her continue.

"Unfortunately I don't know who he is or if he even exists. I never met with him, only his leaders. They all claimed to be the leader of ROE. "

Une frowned at the information. It wasn't enough to tell her anything substantial. "Are you saying that Edwards may not even an actual person?"

"Yes. My orders were always delivered by someone else. To be honest I think ROE is made up of several leaders."

"That's a good possibility. How involved were you before you left?" Une had sat straight in her chair as she watched Serena closely for any change in her posture.

"I was heavily involved but I wasn't allowed access to certain files or operations. I only know the raw basics of their plans. I was kept in the dark even before going on any missions."

"What can you tell me then that you know?"

Serena regarded her for a moment before responding. "The shipment of metals was for their own use for weapons." She glanced at Heero who had narrowed his eyes at her. "While the black market has a sustainable amount of weapons still flowing through it, it wasn't enough to meet the demand of what the leaders wanted."

"Based on the amount that has been transported it seems they're building something other than just guns." Heero watched as Serena turned to look at him.

"They also needed the ability to transport those weapons. They were able to buy out a small shipping company and make the repairs needed to the ships."

"What company and where would they be able to do so under our radar?" Une asked trying to get Serena's attention back on her.

"There was a small company based in the L3 cluster. Meyer I believe was the name. All operations were moved once they bought them out. There's still a number of resource satellites that are unused and have been made available for purchase since the war ended." Serena watched as Une opened her mouth to speak but he quickly continued on. "If you want the locations, I don't have them. A lot of the materials they've had shipped were used to repair some as well. It allowed them to move them from one location to the other."

Une closed her eyes for a moment. This had been the most information Serena had told them so far. It was a start but if Serena wasn't privilege to everything they still needed to do their own work on finding out who these people were and if this Edwards was even truly a person. "There's also one other thing." Serena's voice broke through her thinking. She nodded for Serena to continue once she locked eyes with her.

"There may be others who have come into the agency. I don't think Watson is the only one who may have been sent to infiltrate. It's also possible that they sent others to even start working their way through ESUN. If you want I can go through a list of personal and see if any names match those of who I know in ROE."

Heero was about to interject when Une held up a hand. "I'll think it over. We have Watson and I want a full interrogation done on him. See if he's willing to say anything." She said to Heero before looking back to Serena. They had more to go on now but it wouldn't be easy, she knew this. But for now it was a start. She needed time to process a few things and think over a plan that could put them a step ahead of these rebels. "As far you go Serena, I want you to return to your room and wait for my decision on what the next course of action will be." She watched as Serena nodded.

"May I make a suggestion?" Serena asked before she left. Une nodded her head in approval. "Increase security on top ranking officials." She turned to looked at Heero. "Especially Relena and the President."

"I agree with you, Lowell. Thank you for your time. You're dismissed."

Serena nodded her head again before turning on her heel. Heero and Trowa thought they were to leave as well to escort Serena back to her room. Heero wasn't happy based on what Trowa could read from the expression on his face. "Barton, Yuy. Both of you are to remain. I trust that she can find her way back."

They both stopped in their tracks as they watched Serena turn around for a moment. She gave a curt nod before opening the door. After she exited the room they both turned back to face Une. "Do you think that's a wise idea?" Heero said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sally is aware of the fact that Serena was coming to my office. I have her waiting for Serena on the first medical floor."

"What if someone sees her?"

"Yuy at this point it's been made aware that she is in this building along with the fact she has been seen with the both of you. Hiding her isn't going to help." Une pinched the bridge of her nose again as she tried to think on how they could solve the issues at hand. "I'll figure out what to do with her. For now she's talking. She's willing to give us information which at least it's a starting point. Whatever information she tells us needs to be looked into regardless if it's something small. She may be telling us the truth about not knowing everything." She looked up to meet Heero's questioning eyes. "You both know that first hand. You were given orders and you followed through. You knew the basics of what Operation M was, but never fully knew the finer details. Just remember that." She paused for a moment before continuing. "See what Watson has to say and report anything back to me ASAP. I'll hold off Klein for as long as I can, but it may come down to where we may have to set something up. I'll see if Relena can pull any strings to keep him away."

She looked between to the two of them. Both their faces were masked but Heero's was starting to slip. "Yuy, go find Chang and Maxwell. Have them handle Watson." She knew that he'd most likely want to return to Relena's side. Klein had told her that Relena refused to go back to Preventers. "Barton, go make sure Serena has returned to her room. I'll let you both know my decision in a day or so on what we'll be doing with her. Until then, I want her to stay in her room no matter what. Understood?" She waited as both nodded their heads. "Dismissed."

* * *

Serena was escorted back to her room by Sally. Sally didn't say much other than Watson was a cry baby about being shot by her. While she appreciated the attempt to humor her, Serena wasn't happy about how things turned out. The fact that any attempt on Relena's life was made, only made her question things further. Was ROE changing tactics? Why kill off someone who was the most important to the operation of total control of ESUN?

Something wasn't settling right with Serena as she thought about everything. She hadn't been in contact with J in almost two weeks now. Which left her not knowing what was going on. That part bothered her the most. If she had known something was going to happen or even have any hint of it, she would've put a stop to it right away. She may of been under control by ROE, but it didn't mean she had to completely agree with their ideals. Which is why she told Une some information. If ROE was going to be taken down, Serena knew that she needed to step up and be willing to completely work with Preventers. Her thoughts were interrupted as a knock came on her door. She didn't bother to look up once the person stepped into the room. It was easy to tell who it was.

Trowa looked over to the bed. Serena had changed her clothes and as he took a good look at her face it was easy to see the hard expression on her face. That and she didn't make any eye contact with him when he entered. Sighing inwardly he walked over to the bed. "Don't over think it." He said as he sat down.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are." Trowa watched as she shot her head up to look at him. "Heero has the same express and doesn't make eye contact when he's over thinking something. I've known him long enough to pick up a thing or two about him." He watched for another moment before offering her a small smile. "You did the right thing."

Serena eyed him. "How do you know?"

"Because you could've just sat in the car and did nothing. Instead you did something." He reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder. "Regardless of what anyone says, you were right in making the decision to come in and help. It could've resulted in the loss of Relena or someone else."

"That may be true, but you do realize what all this means?"

Trowa took his hand back, resting it on the bed. "You've been exposed, yes."

Serena shook her head. "It's not just that, Barton. It means that things are going to change."

Trowa frowned. Normally she used his last name when she was joking lightly with him. "What do you mean?"

Serena's face hardened for a moment before she shook her head again. "Keep an eye on everything. Trust only those who you can rely on. Who knows how far ROE's reach is now." Trowa frowned again as he watched her. "Don't look at me like that, Trowa. You know it's the truth. Just be smart." She offered him a small smile. "To be honest, I would prefer to end this discussion about this topic. At least for tonight."

Trowa nodded his head before offering a smile of his own. "Alright then. Are you hungry?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I could eat."

"It's not take out, but I did stop by the cafeteria." He pulled out two sandwiches from his jacket along with two water bottles. Serena had wondered how he was able to hide so much in the tight fitted jacket, but then again maybe it just added to the mystery of him. "By the way." He started as he looked back up into her eyes. "I noticed a rather large sum of money that was transferred into my account. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" He lifted an eyebrow for good measure.

"No. I wouldn't know a thing about that." Serena said as she smirked at him.

* * *

After speaking with Wufei, Heero headed back to the Capitol building. He was planning on sending Duo back to HQ while taking Relena home. After they day they had, the idea of just going home with her was welcoming. Her work day was almost done anyway. He would easily steal her and whisk her home. He felt his stomach before he heard the growl. He hadn't had anything to eat all day. Coffee, as good as it was and how much he enjoyed it was not an executable form of nursitment. Relena would no doubt be hungry as well so he made the decision to grab some take out on the way back to her house.

Getting her to leave her office was harder than he thought. Relena had pushed all thoughts aside of what had occurred earlier as she tried to get as much work done as possible. And she says I work too much. It wasn't until he offered her food that she readily agreed to leave her office for the night. She had asked if they were going out, but after the type of day they had, she agreed it was probably best not to be seen out in public. Word hadn't spread just yet to the media of what had really happened. Une was working hard to keep the finer details hidden. She was a little disappointed, but Heero thinking ahead, had ordered her favorite Italian food. They stopped by the restaurant on their way back to her town house to pick up the food. Relena had smiled brightly at him when he had gotten back into his car. It was those moments for him that he knew he was doing something right.

After they enjoyed their dinner, Heero sent Relena away as he cleaned up the kitchen. They were both so hungry they hadn't bother to change out of their work atrie before sitting down to eat. Once he was done, Heero made his way up to the master bedroom. Relena had changed into a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. Her go to comfort clothes when she wanted to lounge around the house. He smirked to himself as he moved to stand behind her. He nuzzled her neck for a moment before he started to plant soft kisses as he tighten his arms around her.

"Aren't you tired?" Relena asked, even as she moved her head to allow him more access to her sensitive skin.

"No." He mumbled as he bit down lightly.

"When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"Yesterday." He said before moving to her ear. "That was the last time I slept with you."

Relena gasped before turning around in his arms to face him. "Heero!" She watched him as his lips twitched up into a smirk before quickly descending on hers. His kiss was passionate with a hint of eagerness. As the kiss deepened, she could feel his arousal as he pushed their bodies closer. They broke away long enough to get some air. She was about to say something till he lifted her up bring her to the bed.

Heero laid her down as he crawled atop of her. Her eyes were starting to glaze over as she looked up at him. He could get lost in her eyes, and he often did when looking at her. Especially like this. She always said his eyes were the gateway to his soul, but he truly believed that her's were the gateway into his own soul. She held his soul, his life, everything he was. Even if she didn't know that. He leaned down to kiss her gently before moving back to pull his shirt over his head. As he moved back over her, he saw that she was trying to get her own shirt off. He stilled her hands as he pulled the the rest of her shirt up and over her head. Tonight would be about her and only her.

He stared down at her as he lightly traced his fingers over her skin. He felt the sharp intake of air, along the goosebumps he was creating with just one touch. He leaned down again to capture her lips in another kiss. His hand coming up to rest for a moment on the soft flesh of her breast. The simple touch cause another gasp from her before a moan escaped her slightly parted lips. His hand lightly molding the soft tissue. He smirked against her lips as he ran his thumb over the hard nipple.

Relena broke the kiss as she arched her back. He knew how to tease her with just the lightest of touches. She was relishing in the attention he was giving her. His mouth searing her skin as left a trail of kisses. She arched her back into him more as his mouth found its way to one of nipples. She could feel his tongue along with his teeth as he lightly grazed the sensitive spot. Her hands coming up to tangle in his locks as he moved from one breast to the other. It wasn't long before she felt him pull away from her. Opening her eyes, she caught the smirk on his lips before she felt his fingers hook the inside of her sweatpants. In one fluid motion, he pulled not own the pants off but her underwear as well. She had helped him slightly by lifting her hips but that didn't matter as she felt his next move.

Heero knew everything he was doing. Every little move he made. Every flick of his tongue. Every stroke of his fingers was sending her closer to the edge. Her moans had become louder. Her hands were tangled in his hair again as he continued to give her the most pleasure possible. It wasn't long before her legs had tightened around his head and her breathless words filled the air around them. He would never be able to get enough of her. She tasted like heaven. His slice of heaven.

Once her body relaxed, Relena opened her eyes enough to see Heero move to capture her lips again in a heated kiss. While she was enjoy all the attention he was giving her. She knew that she should return the favor. Even if for a little. She lightly put her hands on his chest, pushing him away. She smirked at him as she looked into his deep blue eyes. Grabbing his pants she gave them a tug. He quickly obliged, removing them from his body. Before he could come back to lay on top of her, she gently shook her head while once again placing a hand on his chest. It didn't take him long to realize what she want to do. Wordlessly, he flipped them so she was now straddling his waist. She kissed him quickly before moving down his body. Repeating the same actions as he had done to her. She left a trail of kisses in her wake as she made her way down to his hips.

Without wasting any more time, she took a hold of member. Sliding her hand lightly down the length before moving her mouth to engulf him. She felt his hands tangle in her long strands as she continued to move her head in a steady rhythm. Her hands and mouth working together to bring him the same pleasure he had given to her. His fingers had gripped her hair tighter as he started to slowly take over her movements. Guiding her as she built up his release. Then he abruptly pulled her head away.

"Relena…" Heero said in a low husky voice. His breathing was uneven as he tried to control himself. If he let Relena continue working her magic on him, he knew he wouldn't last long. She had loosen her hand around him. As he sat up, he pulled her into an embrace as he kissed her hard on the lips before flipping them back over. There was work still left unfinished. He adjusted himself between her legs as he took in the sight over again. She smiled softly at him before taking a hold of his head, bring it back down to hers. He swiftly entered her, joining their bodies together once again. The soft and warm folds of her body surrounding him as he started the slow movements that were all too familiar.

Heero had broken the kiss, as she moaned into his mouth. When her eyes fluttered open she looked directly into his. Every emotion, every thought passing through those midnight blue orbs. In these moments, they were the gateway to the universe. There was such a strength, a power behind those eyes. But there was also the heart of his soul. The loving, tender side of him. These were the moments no one else had ever seen but her. He was completely vulnerable, but it was always the last thing on his mind. She clamped her eyes shut as his paced quickened. Her hands slipped from his neck as he pushed himself up, grabbing a hold of her waisted and he pushed himself deeper into her. Her moans filling the air around them once again, as a second wave started to pass over her. She opened her eyes again in time to see his close as his own sounds mingled with hers.

Heero fell onto his shaky hands. He was trying to catch his breath without completely falling on top of Relena. He could hear her panting before she moved her hands to swipe his bangs away from his face. They locked eyes before he pulled himself out and away from her. Laying next to her, he wrapped his arms around her bring her body closer to his. He planted soft kisses on her cheeks as he made his way to her lips. The kiss was gentle but filled with everything he had.

Relena appreciate these moments more than tender way he touched her. The way he kissed her. All over tonight was amazing. Her favorite food, him cleaning up the kitchen for her. Even their lovemaking. There was just one thing he had forgotten. "Heero?"

"Hm?"

"You're still not off the hook." Relena watched as Heero's face deadpanned. She laughed lightly as he glared at her.

* * *

 _Happy Friday! I figured we needed a little more fun for today's chapter! Considering it didn't start off on the right foot. You all know I can't just have Relena get hurt! She does play an important roll in this story. We do all love a little 1xR loving though! So I hope you all enjoyed this second and not last encounter between them!_ _Please R &R!_ _I want to hear your thoughts and opinions!_

 _I hope you all have a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **All Bets Are On**

Trowa and Serena had spent the rest of the day talking. Trowa was enjoying the time he had to himself with her. He still didn't know much about her personally. She had said a few things but she usually changed the topic to something else. What he did learn was how intelligent she was. He had asked her about the course, along with her thoughts on it. She had quickly told him that she was impressed. Until she ran it. They had gone back and forth between the positive and negative aspects of it. While she had agreed with him that the course shouldn't be overly impossible for the training agents. It also wasn't difficult enough. It wasn't testing them on their abilities as much as she thought it should. If they wanted highly trained agents that could maneuver through any situation. The course needed to be redone in order to provide the results they wanted.

With her statement he had asked her if she were to redesign it. What would she change about it? She had surprised him by grabbing a pad of paper along with the pen that had been once used to hold her hair up. She had set to work drawing the basic outline of the course. Her guesses on the size along with most of the rooms she had been in were spot on. She had taken the time to not only write out her ideas, but also explain them to him. She had made notes on the side of her design. Along with some key points. He was so immersed in what she was doing and saying that he hadn't noticed that he was leaning into her personal space. Their shoulders had touched. Then he felt her shift on the bed.

"Sorry." He murmured as he pulled away.

"It's fine." Serena said before handing him the note pad.

"This is truly amazing." He was still impressed with her engineering knowledge. Her drawing along with the neatly written notes could stand as a blueprint. "Do you mind if I take this? I'd like to show Quatre." He asked turning his head to look back at her.

"Sure. Do whatever you want with it." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Thanks." Trowa smiled softly at her before looking back down at the paper in his hands. After a few minutes he had turn back to look at her. He saw something flash through her eyes. "Everything okay?"

"Yes.." She started out slowly as she leaned into him. Trowa watched her face as _she_ now entered _his_ personal space. "Tell me something, Barton." Trowa raised a brow. She was doing it again. Saying his name with that playfully note to it. "What's the deal between you and Relena?"

Both his eyes went wide. She smiled to herself as he tried to school his face. "We're just friends." He said quickly. Their faces were only inches apart.

"Just friends huh?" Serena clucked her tongue.

Trowa pulled his face back into an unreadable mask. "She's a friend. Has _always_ been a friend. Not to mention Heero and Relena have been dating for some time now."

"Ah yes." Serena pulled herself away from him. "So I've been told."

Trowa frowned slightly. "It's no secret. Everyone knows. Even if they deny it."

"Yes. Almost four years now." Serena smirked when she saw the look on his face before he chuckled slightly.

"Guess I lost that bet with Maxwell."

"You had a bet going?" She quirked a brow at him.

"Yes, on how long they had been dating. I should've known better. Duo has his ways of finding out this information." Trowa crossed his arms over his chest as he smiled at her.

"I see. Well.. Duo wasn't the one who told me." As her grin grew wider. "Though, if there's another bet. I'd like to be in on it."

It was Trowa's turn to lift a brow at her. "Heero, himself told you?" He watched as she just kept grinning at him. The knowing look twinkling in her eyes. "I'm even more impressed with you." He shook his head before dropping his arms. "The next one is on when they might get engaged."

"What's the going rate for that one?"

"Hundred dollars."

"This time next year." Serena simple said. "In fact, I'll double it. When should I transfer the money?" Her blue eyes sparkled up at him.

* * *

"Relena can't this wait till tomorrow?" Heero tried again to plead with her as he threw on a pair of jeans.

"No, it cannot." Relena said briskly as she grabbed a pink sweater out of her closet.

"Relena…" Heero said in a low voice. The night was finally turning around and he was hoping to just spend the night laying in bed with the woman who was now currently starring ice daggers at him.

"I have every right to properly thank her, Heero." She pointed a finger at him, "and since you're currently my bodyguard. It's your responsibility to come with me." He wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't really have to go along with it… "Heero, you're still in hot water with me. Not to mention _you_ probably didn't even _thank_ her yourself! If she hadn't of been there what would've happened?"

He pulled a shirt on before glaring slightly at her. "We could've handled it. _I_ could've handled it."

"That may be true, but you didn't have to yell at her. I know you said _something_ to her. I fully support her in the fact she gave you the finger." Relena huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest for good measure.

 _Can I ever catch a break? Now Relena is taking her side?_ Heero sighed outwardly. "Fine, let's go. It's getting late and I don't want to be there all night."

Relena beamed a smile at him. Before walking over to him and peeking him on the cheek. "Thank you for seeing it my way. We won't be long, I promise."

* * *

The whole drive back to HQ, Heero had lost himself in thought. The whole day started out shitty and was slowing going back to being shitty. While there was a hundred thoughts going through his head, the one that was at the forefront of them all was Serena. Within forty-eight hours, everything had changed once again. Ever since she had shown up, it seemed like everything and _everyone_ was changing. She had single-handedly won over almost everyone. Sally and Trowa were the first, more so Trowa. Then Duo and Relena shortly afterwards. But the most surprising one was Wufei. He was someone who didn't warm up quickly to _anyone,_ and yet, she had managed it within such a short amount of time. Heero, himself, was still up for debate. Though he had gone to her for help. Was it even the right idea in the first place to ask her?

Heero sighed to himself as he thoughts changed. He had tried to take Relena's advice early and just relax. She was safe and while there was an attempt on her life. The person responsible was behind bars. Or at least one of them. There was the potential for others to come. Even with that in mind, as long as he was with her, no one else would get close enough to touch her. All he wanted tonight was a nice dinner, followed by good sex and the rest of the night spent in bed with Relena. He didn't want to think about things. He wanted to turn off all the alarms that always rang loudly in his head. Though doing so was easier said than done. He knew he'd always be on guard no matter what. But here he was now. Driving back to work and going over every little detail of the day.

Analyzing everything only brought him to a terrible realization. Watson would of tried something no matter what. If Serena had no knowledge of anyone from ROE being in Preventers, then there would've been no way to stop him in the first place. Which brought back his biggest question. If he could, or any of them for that matter, trust her? How much more information did she have that she had yet to reveal to them? It only opened up more questions that he knew at some point would need to be addressed with her.

But what about J? Heero's mind wander back to earlier in the morning. Serena had been angry over the information they had uncovered. He wasn't happy either, but what did bother him was the fact that Serena was right. They had been set up. J had planned everything. The e-mails were meant for him to see. He knew J had to be involved, even if he didn't voice it out loud. The only issue was that they hadn't had any contact with each other since AC 195. Even in AC 196, Heero had not heard or even bothered to try and get in touch with him. So why was it now that J was making an effort of sorts, to contact him? Even more so, why was he trying to get Serena and him to meet? None of it made sense, but Heero knew there was a reason. He just needed to figure it out. But there was a possibility that he might be able to get the information from someone else.

"Heero?" Heero snapped his head up as Relena's voice broke through his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw the concerned look she was giving him. "Heero is everything alright?"

"Huh?"

"You've been staring at the steering wheel since we pulled into the parking lot. Is everything okay?" Relena was starting to worry a little more. Was it lack of sleep of had she pushed him too far with this one?

He was so lost in thought that he hadn't even realized they were already at HQ. He shook himself mentally. "Yeah, are you ready?"

Relena eyed him carefully before nodding her head. "Yes. You look tired. We won't be long alright?" Heero nodded his head before opening the driver's side door to exit the vehicle. Relena followed suit as she opened her door.

* * *

Trowa didn't even realize how late it was until Serena tried to cover a yawn. He had completely forgotten that she had been up the night before. Not to mention running Sally's test. "You should probably get some rest." He frown slightly as he went on. "I didn't mean to keep you awake this long."

Serena wave a hand at him. "It's not a big deal. I guess I've been spoiled being here and being able to sleep nightly." She watched as his frown deepened. "Don't worry yourself, Barton. I can handle being awake for long periods of time."

"You should still get some rest."

"And I will." She say the questioning look on his face as he looked around the room before returning his attention to her. Heero was normally the one who stayed in her room at night. Why was beyond her but she had a feeling he wasn't going to be tonight. "I think one night won't kill anyone. I'm not allowed out of my room remember?"

"Yes. But I know Heero comes in at night to watch over you."

"Yes, till early in the morning. Then you come back before the two of you switch off during the day. I'm well accustomed to your routine now." Her lips curled up slightly.

"If Heero isn't coming in, then I'll stay."

"No." Trowa opened his mouth to speak before Serena shook her head. "Go home Trowa. I'll be fine. I'll be here in the morning when you come back."

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying." Once again he'd have to leave her alone. He just didn't feel right about it for some reason.

"I'll be fine. Go home, get some rest yourself." She offered him a small smile before covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned.

Trowa smiled back at her in return. "Alright. Then have a goodnight, Serena." He said as he stood up.

"Thank you. Goodnight." She said back to him. She watched as he stopped at the door to look over his shoulder. She smiled again before nodding her head. He returned the gesture before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.

Trowa had only made it halfway down the hall before he heard the ' _ding'_ of the elevator _._ He stopped to watch who was getting off. To his surprise, Heero and Relena step off the elevator together. He wait till they came were close enough before he spoke. "What are you two doing here?"

Relena smiled at Trowa as they came to stop in front of him. "I wanted to speak with Serena. Is she still awake?"

"Oh. Yeah she's still awake." Trowa was slightly confused. He wasn't expecting to see Heero. Let alone Relena.

"Good." Relena smiled again before turning to Heero. "I won't be long." She moved past both men to Serena's door before knocking and swiping her ID, allowing her to enter.

Trowa lifted a brow as he watched Relena enter the room before turning back to face Heero. "You're not going in with her?"

Heero huffed before crossing his arms over his chest. "She made it clear that I _wasn't_ allowed to go in with her."

Serena hadn't said anything to him, but Duo had informed him that Heero was currently in the dog house with Relena. It seemed Relena was still punishing him for not calling her. "Oh. Well do you want me to stay till she's done?"

Heero met his eyes with a steady gaze. If the car ride over showed him anything, it was that he needed to speak with not just Serena. But Trowa as well. "Actually, we need to talk."

* * *

Serena heard the knock on the door. Figuring Trowa had returned she called out to him. "I'll be fine Trowa. Go home and…" She trialed off as she opened the bathroom door. "Relena? What are you doing here?" She wasn't expecting Relena to be the one who entered her room. "Where's Heero?"

Relena laughed lightly, the expression on Serena's face was one of shock and confusion. "I came here to speak with you." She watched as Serena's face deadpanned. "Heero's out in the hallway." Serena nodded her head before tilting it slightly to the side. She had never seen Relena in such causal clothing. She was wearing a light pink sweater with a pair of jeans. Her hair laid over her shoulder in a braid. "I'm happy to see you're wearing my clothes."

Serena blinked before looking down at what she was wearing. She had thrown on a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. All belonging to Relena. "I'll returning everything once I've gotten my own." She said as she brought her gaze back up to Relena's.

"Don't worry. Keep them as long as you need them." Relena offered her a smile as she stepped back. Serena had thanked her again before gesturing for her to sit down on the bed. As they walked over to the bed, Relena couldn't help but notice the protective stance Serena had taken on. "You're too much like him."

"Huh?" Serena moved herself to face Relena better on the bed.

"I've been around Heero for seven years now." Relena bought her leg up, tucking it under her. "I know when someone is being protective of me. But I came here because I wanted to thank you for what you did today."

"There's no need to thank me." Serena frowned.

Relena shook her head, "yes there is. If you hadn't of been there, who knows what Agent Watson would've done?"

"Heero and Trowa could of handled it."

Relena bought her hand up to cup her chin as she rested her elbow on her leg. "How did I know you were going to say that?" She watched as Serena lifted a brow but offered nothing in response. "That is true, but _you_ did come and help."

"What are you really trying to say?" Serena crossed her arms over her chest. She knew the question was coming.

"Why? Why did you come to stop Watson?" Relena lifted her head, allowing her hand to drop into her lap. "Why did you feel the need to come help if you knew they could handle it?"

"Watson is a member of ROE." Relena kept her face masked as Serena went on. "He was a former member of White Fang and before that OZ Special Forces."

"He was a Mobile Suit pilot then." Relena concluded.

"Yes."

"Can you tell me why he joined ROE?"

Serena wasn't sure where Relena's line of questioning was going to go. She wasn't sure if telling Relena all this information was a good idea. Though part of her knew that she would probably find out one way or another. "Same reason anyone joins a rebellion fraction. They're either unhappy with being discarded as a soldier. Or they're unhappy with the way their government is run." Serena shrugged a shoulder.

"Soldier's aren't discarded. Just because we have disarmament doesn't mean those who once fought are forgotten." Relena had heard men and women say the same thing to her over the years. "We have programs to help those who fought in both wars. To learn to live in these peaceful times. We also have jobs set up for those who cannot find work." Passion had filled her voice as she spoke about one of the many things she had been working so hard on over the years.

"Yes. Those programs are beneficial to those who seek out and use the resources provided. But you and I both know not everyone wants that. There are still those who wish to undo everything ESUN has worked towards."

Relena was taken back by the look in Serena's eyes. Her gaze may have become hard but she was able to see something else. "Then tell me. Truthly. What does ROE want?"

"Complete control."

"What do you mean, 'complete control?'" Relena tightened her eyes as her brows furrowed. She wanted to know the truth about what was going on. And the only person who knew the answer to that was sitting across from her.

* * *

"What are you getting at Heero?" Trowa said. They had been leaning against a wall talking after Relena had gone into Serena's room.

"She's not telling us everything. I want to know if you've been able to obtain more information from her." Heero kept his voice as neutral as possible. But Trowa was able to detect the hint of anger.

"I told you already. She didn't want to talk about what had happened today." Trowa pushed himself off the wall. "She's obviously still upset from this morning and to top it off, someone made an attempt on Relena's life. To be honest, I believe her when she said she didn't know this was going to happen."

"What did she tell you about this morning." Heero had crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Trowa.

"That J planned everything. The base in Russia, the e-mails." Trowa said flatly.

"You figured that out yourself?"

"Not all of it. It was easy once she told me J had set us all up. Though I think the real question you and her are looking for is why?" Trowa stated.

Heero nodded his head. "Then what else has she told you?"

Trowa frowned as he looked at Heero. This was the same conversation they had every day. "Nothing you don't already know."

Heero turned his head away from Trowa. Staring at the wall he was wondering about something else. "How close are you to her?"

"What do you mean by that, Yuy?"

Heero glanced sidelong at Trowa, watching his reaction. "She seems to trust you more than she trust me."

"I don't yell at her." Trowa kept his face masked, even though his lips threatened to tug up at the corners. "I think you're reading into everything too much. She's not just going to come out and tell us everything. She needs a little more time to make the decision to trust _us._ "

"Time isn't something we have the luxury of right now."

"And I agree with you. But you need to give her some time, Heero. You know more about her past than I do. But from what you have shared with me, trust isn't something that comes naturally to her like it does for Relena." Trowa kept his gaze on Heero. Waiting for any hint that his words were sinking in. "She's just learned that she's been lied to. Her decisions from here on out will either have a huge impact on herself. You remember what happened during the war to us." Heero gave him a small nod. "Give her a day or so before you going charging in there with loaded questions."

Heero lifted his chin as he took in what Trowa was saying. Part of him wanted to interrogate Serena till she gave him more information. The other part… the other part was agreeing with Trowa's words. When he had received information about an OZ meeting at the New Edwards Base, he had quickly destroyed a fleeing OZ shuttle. Only to find out it had been a set-up. Which resulted in not only OZ declaring war on the Colonies but also compromised his mental state. He had felt guilty for killing those who were only trying to better the outcome of the war and those who were truly fighting for peace. That incident alone had changed his way of thinking. Even more so was when Relena had followed him to the ends of the Earth in search of him. He knew something had changed in him then. And just maybe, something had changed in Serena as of today.

* * *

"They don't sound any different than another fraction looking for power."

Serena shook her head. "Their plans are more…" she trailed off trying to find the right words. "More…" Relena watched as Serena took on a far away look. "What they plan to do will be catastrophic to Earth and the Colonies. It's not just taking over the government and running it as they see fit. It's also the people they want to control." Serena turned to look back at Relena. The gravity of what Edwards was planning for ROE and the world came to light. She watched as Relena frowned before breaking their eye contact. ' _And it would start with me.'_ Serena thought to herself. "Relena." Relena turned her eyes back to see the stern gaze Serena held. "You need to watch everyone. Do not trust anyone. Follow any instructions Heero gives you. If they try anything again, _if_ this was planned, they will not hesitate. If you are captured, I cannot promise that you will walk away with your life."

Relena gasped. Her eyes grew wide as she let the words sink in. "What are you saying?" She knew, but she needed to hear it.

"They will hurt you. I cannot protect you. Heero may not be able to. You need to protect yourself. Do you understand me?"

Relena blinked at her statement. "You would protect me, if you could?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Her voice just above a whisper.

Serena softened her gaze. "Relena your role in this world is far greater than my life is worth. You've done the impossible and brought peace to this world. There will always be those who oppose you, but you have to remember to always keep fighting for what you believe in."

"Your life is just as important..." Relena's heart was breaking. Heero had said something similar years ago to her.

"In a perfect world, maybe. But this is not a perfect world, Relena." Serena eyes harden. "Do you understand what I've told you?"

Relena closed her eyes, bring her hands to her chest. "Yes."

"Tell me. Tell me you understand the gravity of this."

Relena placed her hands in her lap after a moment. She opened her eyes with a determination clearly visible in them. "I will not let them take control of our government. I will fight with everything I have… and most importantly. I will be responsible for protecting myself should something like this happen again. To protect those who cannot protect themselves." Serena smiled. "I will fight them. But you need to fight back as well. You need to be willing to work with Preventers. No secrets, no hiding anything. Do I make myself clear?"

Serena's smiled faded as she lifted a brow. She knew Relena was passionate in her work. She also knew that Relena wasn't one to bow down to anyone. Relena tightened her gaze. Glaring slightly at her. "I know you haven't been forthcoming with information. That needs to stop and it needs to stop now. Do _you_ understand me?"

Both Serena's brows shot up. "Understood…" She wasn't sure how convincing she sounded in that moment.

"Good" Relena gave her a curt nod. "One last thing before I leave." She waited till Serena nodded in response. "You and Heero need to work on getting along better. You will be working closely with him. If you cannot get along, how will we bring them down?" Relena looked pointedly at her when she saw the frown form on her face. "I know how Heero can be. I also know that you're well aware of this as well. He'll eventually come around to you being here and working alongside him. He did have you help him earlier remember?" Serena nodded her head again. "I will have the same talk with him later. Alright?" Serena offered only another nod. "Alright, then I'll let you be. Get some rest. I'll see you soon?"

Serena stood up when Relena did. "Get some rest yourself. Heero is staying with you tonight correct?"

"Yes and I will. Thank you again Serena." Relena smiled before turning to head towards the door. She felt Serena fall in step behind her. "That isn't necessary." She said lightly as she looked over her shoulder.

* * *

Trowa sighed before ranking a hand through his hair. "Look Heero, just go home and get some sleep. Duo and Wufei should be finished with Watson by the time we get in tomorrow morning."

Heero tightened his eyes as he looked over to the taller man. "Are you staying?"

Trowa was about to answer when they heard the sound of a door opening. Heero growled under his breath as Serena stepped out into the hallway. He was about to say something as she looked at him before he noticed Relena stepping out after her. Relena moved past Serena to stand in front of him. "Are you ready to go?"

Heero looked down quickly before looking back up to meet Serena's eyes. "We're going to have a talk."

Relena was about to remind him of her number one rule between them. Though with the tone of his voice she knew it wasn't a wise decision to do so. She turned herself to face Serena. Her face was masked as she swung her eyes to Trowa before looking back at Heero.

"Come by whenever. All of you go home and get some rest." Serena turned on her heel, pushing on the door to open it fully again. Her hand had been resting against it as to not allow it to close when they came out.

Heero was about to say something else before the door shut. He didn't want her to be left unattended. But he wasn't about to leave Relena alone either. "I offered to stay." Trowa's voice drifted over to him. Heero turned his head to look at him. "One night won't hurt anyone. She knows she's not allow to leave."

Heero tightened his eyes before looking down at Relena. "Do you have your ID badge?"

Relena nodded her head. "Yes, its right here." Relena removed her ID from her pocket showing Heero. "I swiped it then put it back." Relena tightened her own eyes as she looked at him. "She didn't try and take it. She stepped back when I did do, then moved past me to enter the hallway first. She just wanted to make sure you were still here."

Heero kept his gaze trained on her. While he was satisfied with her answer he was still on edge about everything else. "Alright, then let's go." He looked over to Trowa who was standing just off to the side of them. "I want you back here early. Understood?"

Trowa nodded his head before saying his goodbyes. He walked to the stairwell knowing that Heero and Relena would likely take the elevator. He needed to stop by his office before he headed home. Even if part of him thought about just staying down the hall from Serena for the night.

* * *

Serena leaned her head against the door. Closing her eyes she tried to calm her racing heart. Memories had flooded her mind when she was speaking with Relena. Had she done the right thing by telling Relena the truth? Even if she kept some of the detail vage? Heero would find out and with that brought more pressure to tell them everything she knew. The real reality was, J had never trained her for this moment. He had always told her to watch what she said in case she was brought in by Preventers. But he had never fully instructed her on what she was to do.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm the rage that was building in her again. She may of been tired but her body and mind were at war with each other. J had lied. He sent her in hopes of having Preventers catching her. That was never part of the plan. She was to go in, gather the data and leave no trace she was ever there. Then she was to go to somewhere, a safe house, and contact him. Why go through the trouble? If he wanted her and Heero to meet. None of it made sense to her.

Taking another breath she opened her eyes. Pushing herself away from the door she walked over to the bed. Another memory surfaced in her mind as she pulled back the sheets to climb in. " _Your one and only goal is complete the mission. At all cost."_ Serena reached over switching off the light. As she laid down in bed, she knew what she had to do. She had to complete the mission… at all cost...

* * *

 _Happy Saturday! I hope you all are having a good start to your weekend! So what do you think is going to happen now? Is Serena going to tell all that she knows? Or is she going to turn on everyone... even Trowa to complete her mission? We'll have to wait and see won't we! What I can tell you is that things are going to start really picking up now. I don't want to give too much away, but I cannot wait for the new few chapters to go up! You'll all soon fine out why ;)._

 _Have a great weekend everyone!_

 _-MM_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **On The Record**

It had been a day and half since Serena last saw Heero. Trowa had come to her room. Bring her food as always. He wasn't able to stay the whole day and while she was starting to grow fond of the time spent with him. But at the same time she was grateful for the time alone. She needed the time to herself. Time to think of what her next decision would be.

Unfortunately time wasn't going to be on her side today. Heero walked into the room like he was on a mission. She eyed him carefully as he came to stand a few feet away from her. His jaw was set and his eyes were narrowed into slights. She wondered briefly if this was due in part to what had happened almost two days ago. Were they able to obtain any information from Watson? And if so, what did he reveal to them? It seemed that she was going to find out the answers. And soon.

"Get dressed." Heero said in a commanding tone.

"Why?" Her brow arched in question.

"Get dressed. Now." His tone leaving no room for an argument.

After a brief standoff she got up. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a pink shirt. Relena really likes the color pink. She thought as she headed towards the bathroom. Within a few minutes she reemerged to Heero thrusted a pair of shoes into her hands. She glared at him as she put them on. She threw up her hair into a high ponytail before Heero grabbed her arm. Dragging her out of the room.

* * *

Trowa stood in the small room leaning against one of the walls. His arms were crossed as he kept his head bowed. Une along with Duo were in the room with him as well. Une's mood was apparent as she stood staring at the large window that was opposite of him. Her arms were crossed over her chest. While her eyes were tightened around the edges as she waited for the next person to be brought in. Duo was quiet as he stood off to the side of her. Duo's posture was similar to how his own stance was. Though his mood was sullen. The interrogation of Muller Watson resulted in little information and now one deceased lead. Early that morning when rounds were made to check on him. Wufei had found him lying on the floor. His bedsheet wrapped tightly around his neck. It wasn't what they needed right now. But there was nothing they could do about it. Whatever secrets he held, went with his last breath.

When Trowa heard the door open to the other room, he lifted his head in time to see Serena walk through the door followed by Heero. He shot Une a look. "Is this necessary?"

Une betrayed nothing as she kept her gaze trained on the two in the other room. "For the record… yes."

Trowa glanced to Duo who only briefly made eye contact before turning his attention to the other room as well. He tighten his own eyes as he looked back through the window. Serena was standing near a chair. Her arms were by her side as she looked at Heero. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. No other hint of what she was thinking was visible.

"Sit." Heero's voice broke through the silence of the other room.

"Is this an interrogation?"

"Sit." Heero said with a little more force this time. Serena moved to sit in the chair. Crossing her arms, she hardened her eyes as he moved around the table. Taking a seat opposite of her. Their gazes locked as he folded his hands in front of himself. "We're gonna have a talk."

Trowa saw out of the corner of his eyes as Une moved to press a red button located just below the glass window. A red light glowed. Indicating that the session was being recorded.

* * *

Heero waited a moment before starting his line of questioning. "What is your name?"

"Which one?" The hint of smugness in her voice. She knew where she was. The white walls and white tile gave it away. Not to mention the large glass mirror on her left side. She wondered who was possibly watching them on the other side.

"Original."

"Delta"

"Is that a code name that was given to you?"

"Yes."

"What name do you go by now?" Heero's voice still holding the authoritative edge he had when he started.

"Serena Lowell."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two years old." Serena answered smoothly. Though this was an interesting question to ask. They knew what she was aged to. Roughly.

"Where are you from?" Heero didn't waver. Her age wasn't a necessity but if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

"L1." Serena tightened her eyes slightly. Always the professional. Shouldn't have expected anything less. She thought to herself.

"Why are you on Earth?"

"Work." She received a glare from him. "Reconnaissance Mission." She glared back at him. Daring him to ask for more information about it. He surprised her by asking a slightly different question.

"Who do you work for?"

"Edwards." There's a small pause before she continued. "Revolution of Edwards."

"What is their objective?

"Complete control of the Earth Sphere and the Colonies."

"How do they plan to do this?" Serena didn't answer right away. Heero tightened his gaze, raising his voice slightly in the process. "Answer the question."

"They want to change the ruling order of the ESUN and eliminated the embodiment of the Government as whole. One leader, one ruling order. They want to replace all delegates from the senate, with their own. Similar to Romefeller. They plan to do this by using key figures already established. Such as the Vice Foreign Minister of Affairs. They want Vice Minister Darlian to persuade the citizens of both Earth and the Colonies to accept the new ruling Government. Force will be used when necessary."

"Keep going." Heero voice dropped to a low growl.

"I can't give you information I don't have."

Heero watched her face. She betrayed nothing. He wanted more information but maybe switching topics might give him some more hints. "Fine. What can you tell me about Muller Watson?"

"That idiot?" Serena laughed "The fact he didn't bother to change his name when he joined Preventers? He's an ex-White Fang and OZ Special-Troop soldier. Trained as an MS pilot. Apparently he came highly recommended from what I've heard." She shrugged a shoulder.

"Watson is associated with this ROE fraction?"

"Yes."

"Is that how you were able to recognize him two days ago?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why he would attempt to assassinate the Vice Foreign Minister?" Heero narrowed his eyes. He was still unsettled by what had happened.

"Orders were never to harm the Minister. Why he was attempting to do so is unknown to me."

"Do you believe orders were changed for them to gain an upper hand?"

"No. It would be foolish on their part if Darlian was to be killed."

Heero watched her for a moment. He had seen a flash of anger pass through her eyes when she spoke. The nagging voice, he had come to deem annoying was at the forefront of mind. It was telling him that she was still just as unsettled by what happened as he was. He ignored it for now. There was still further questioning he need to do. "We've learned that there have been illegal shipments of metals being sent and received by ROE. What types of metals are these and what are they being used for?"

Serena glanced at the mirror. She had a feeling Une was in the other room, but even more so, Trowa was in that room as well. Taking a deep breath she turned her eyes back to Heero. "Do you really want to know?" Heero nodded his head. He moved to cross his arms over his chest as he stared her down. "Repairs to the resource satellites they've obtained. Along with private and shipping shuttles…" Serena took a slow breath before she spoke the next words. It was either going to work in her favor or seal her fate of what was to come. "Weapons. Not just for guns and ammoniation. But to repair Mobile Suits from both wars."

Heero's eyes went wide. "They've been getting Titanium Alloy for Mobile Suits?"

"Yes…"

Heero tightened his eyes as he leaned forward. "You mean to tell me after all this time that they have suits that are being rebuilt?" Serena said nothing in response. "What do they plan to do with them?" The words seething from his mouth.

"A one sided war." Serena said meeting his gaze. Heero was about to ask another question when Serena spoke first. "They were able to obtain the suits from some of the private companies who assisted with the clean up after both wars. Since Preventers were formed quickly after AC 195, they hired private companies to help." Heero knew this, but he knew she was also stating it for the record as well. "One of those companies was sold by Winner Corp back in AC 190. The shipping company that the Winner's once owned was sold to someone who was associated with Romefeller. Back then at least. I don't know much of the history. But after the wars the company was hired by ESUN to help Preventers with collecting debire. Just not all of it was ever recorded and turned over." Serena was about to continue when two knocks came from the mirror. She watched as Heero snapped his head in the direction of the sound. Glaring at the mirror before standing up.

"Stay seated." He said as he made his to the door and out of the room. It wasn't long after that Une entered. Instead of sitting down in the chair that Heero had been occupying. She leaned over the table letting her long brown hair fall over the dark olive and black Preventers jacket.

"They're manufacturing Mobile Suits." It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement. Her voice harsh. As if repermadning a small child. "Are they manufacturing anything else?" Serena kept her gaze hard as she stared at the head of Preventers. "I'll ask one more time. Are they manufacturing anything else?"

Serena lifted her chin as she held Une's gaze. "Yes."

* * *

 _Happy Friday! I know this is a short chapter. Very short compared to my other ones. But I felt this was a good place to stop. :D._ _So Serena's been hiding a secret. Any guesses as to what that may be? What else could she be keeping hidden? Let me know your thoughts!_

 _So much is going to start happening. I'm so excited! Have a great weekend everyone! And thank you to those who are reading and reviewing! I appreciate it more than words can describe!_

 _-MM_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Decision Made**

"Shut down the recording." Une said turning to face the mirror. After several long minutes, two knocks came. Turning her head back she finally sat down in the empty chair. "What are they building?" Serena's face was masked but it seemed she was fighting with herself on how to answer. "Serena if you _truly_ want to help us, you need to be honest. No more withholding information. You are our _only_ lead now. Your information is highly valuable and if you want to see ROE taken down you need to work with us. I'm willing to pardon you of anything that may come once we bring everyone involved to trial. But that can only happen if you help us. You need to tell me what else they're building."

 _So Watson's dead or he didn't give them anything._ Serena closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them. Her decision clearly written on her face. "A Gundam."

Une didn't skip a beat as she clasped her hands together. Placing them in front of her. "Are you the pilot?" She had a feeling when Serena stated they were rebuilding old Mobile Suits that there was a possibility that a Gundam could've been created as well.

"Yes."

"Is it completed?"

"No. It's non functional. Only the cockpit was completed and tested. I have not seen or know if anything else was ever finished. There were no schematics to go by."

"But Doctor J developed several in the past." Une knew some information on J's history. He was apart of the creation of the Tallgeese and the soul creator of Heero's original Wing Gundam. She had learned later that the Wing Gundam was based on the original Gundam that the five scientists were working on together. The Wing Zero was even more powerful than the Wing Gundam which Heero had also piloted. Not to mention he had help create the Mercurius and Vayeate.

"Yes but he never handed over the designs of his previous models to ROE. All information on the Gundam's themselves were destroyed."

Une narrowed her eyes slightly. She wasn't fully convinced. "Are you saying they are coming up with their own design?"

"Yes, based on previous MS's models and the general idea of what and how a Gundam show look and perform." Serena kept her face masked.

"Do you know if it's possible for them to still construct it? If given the opportunity?"

"That I don't know for sure. I was the only one trained to pilot it. The ZERO System is link to me and me only. If they were to put someone else in the suit itself wouldn't function."

Une kept her own face masked. She wasn't expecting her to say that her MS had the ZERO System. But part of her knew that if J was the one helping to build it that it most likely would contain the system. "Can you tell me where the Gundam is being built?"

Serena shook her head. "No, it was never built together. All parts were built separate and were to be moved together in one location when everything was completed. I'm not even sure the cockpit is still in the same location."

Une could hear the sincerity in her voice and along with the slight disappointment showing on her face. If she had the information Une believed that Serena would've told her. "I have one last thing to say." Serena nodded her head. "If you're going to work alongside us, you are to follow any and all orders that are given to you. Regardless if you agree or disagree. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Serena kept her chin lifted and her eyes locked on Une's.

Une was able to see clearly, the real truth behind Serena's blue eyes. "I will have Maxwell escort you back to your room. My decision on what to do with you and how we will move forward will be brought to you shortly. You're dismissed." Une stood, watching as Serena stood. Looking past her she watched as Duo entered the room.

"Ready to go Rena?" Duo voice was calm or as calm as it was going to get. They had been listening to everything. Even if it wasn't being recorded.

Serena turned her head, glaring over her shoulder at Duo. She said nothing before turning back to Une. Their eyes locked once again before she gave her a curt nod. Turning on her heel she walked past Duo out into the hallway.

* * *

Duo had been with Serena for almost an hour. At first he wasn't sure if he should talk with her or just sit and watch her till either Heero or Trowa got back. Though he was hoping it'd be Trowa. When he left the observation room to collect Serena, Heero was about ready to shoot a hole in the two way mirror. A small fight had broken out between the three of them. Trowa had defended Serena. While Heero made it seem he was planning out her execution. Duo himself had defended both what Trowa and Heero were saying but that only resulted in the three of them shouting at each other more. It wasn't like they had never argued over something before. But the whole situation just put everyone more on edge.

After a while he finally gave in and started a conversation with her. Though a huge part of him wanted to ask a hundred questions on this "new Gundam." He knew it probably wasn't the best idea. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss Deathscythe. He started out small with random topics and it seemed like she was engaged enough in the conversation. So he tried his luck.

"So." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. A wide grin on his face. "You never did answer my question from before." Serena lifted a brow at him. "Do _you_ have a boyfriend?"

"Are you being serious right now?" Serena's voice rose slightly. Duo chuckled to himself as he watched her face deadpan.

"It's a simple yes or no answer, Rena."

Serena frowned. "I don't see how it's any of your business. Aren't _you_ married?" She pointed a finger at him.

"Why yes, yes I am." Duo held up his left hand. The gold wedding band reflecting the rooms lights as he wagged his finger. "But it doesn't mean I can't ask." He lifted his cobalt eyes up to meet hers. The mirth sparkling in them.

Serena wasn't even sure if she could take him seriously… or if she should _ever_ take him serious. But she found herself going along with whatever game it was. "The answer is no."

"Ah." Duo started as he nodded his head. "So.. no boyfriend. Such a shame too. A pretty girl like you probably wouldn't last long on the market anyway."

"I beg your pardon? Market!?" Serena's eyes had gone wide. Never had she been referred to in such a way.

"The single's market?" Duo arched a brow. "What I'm saying is, someone as good looking as you wouldn't stay single for long." He shrugged a shoulder. "Take it as a complement. Don't have to read into it." Duo was going to give her a headache. She could already feel it. It wasn't until his next question that threw her for a loop. "What about Barton?"

"What?" Both her brows shot up in confusion.

"I said what about Trowa? You like him right?" Duo's grin reappearing.

"He's been nice to me. But I don't..."

"So you do like him!" Duo jumped in. "He probably likes you too. We should set something up. Dinner? Movie? We can come up with something."

"What the hell Duo!?" Serena threw her hands in the air. "I never said I _"liked"_ him or whatever. I simple said he's been _nice_ to me."

"Ah don't kid yourself!" Duo waved a hand at her. "People fall in love in mysterious ways all the time." Duo recrossed his arms as the grin on his face grew wider. How, Serena wasn't even sure. "Look at your _brother_ and Relena." Duo watched as her face deepened into a scowl. "They fell in love, probably the minute Heero turned a gun on her. Geez if that isn't crazy enough Relena _followed_ him around the freaking world! And he even went to save her when she was in _space!_ " Duo had gone a little overboard with his explanation. Emphasising certain words. "Now they've been dating for some time now. Will probably get married and have some kids. So now that we have described the _perfect_ example of how people fall in love in some really fucking crazy way…" He paused for effect. "What about you and Barton?" He wagged a brow at her.

"I think you're out of your mind." Serena deadpanned.

"I'm telling you, it could happen. Maybe already has. It could be something as simple as a touch, or maybe some softly spoken words to each other. You never know, Serena. You never know."

* * *

Heero and Trowa were currently in Une's office with her. To discuss the results of Serena's interrogation. Trowa had stayed relatively quiet other than defending some of Serena's actions. But Heero had gotten into a heated argument with Une over the information Serena had given them. Heero was angry over the fact that it took two weeks before Serena fully said anything. Une had agreed but was quick to point out that given the time Serena had while being at HQ. And the fact Muller Watson had attempted to harm the VFM. It seemed to have made something snap in her.

Une had hoped that if they gave Serena some time that she would be more cooperative. From where they stood, Une felt comfortable in the idea that they had ROE's main key player in their plans. Without Serena they may not be able to fully fulfill their goals. That and the fact that they now had the upper hand. With Serena they would be able to start striking a counter attack against them.

They just needed to plan out their next course of action and Une knew where she wanted to start. It was a gambled but it was one she knew they needed to take.

"I've made a decision." Une started after Heero had stopped yelling at her. "Serena cannot stay here. She's been seen and our other agents have already started to talk. If there are more members of ROE hidden within this organization, it would be wise to remove her and find out if there are any others before word gets back to them that we have her." Une eyes both men. "The only issue is where to send her. We need her to be able to be in contact with us along with she will need to remain monitored. While I trust her information, it would be unwise of us to set her loose and unattended."

Without thinking Trowa spoke. "She can stay with me." Heero turned wided eye before narrowing his eyes at the taller man.

"Absolutely not. She will stay at my apartment where _I_ can monitor her."

Trowa turned to glare at him. "She would be better off staying with me." He received a growl from the slightly short man. "I have a two bedroom, two bath apartment. While you have a single bed and bath. Not to mention you're staying with Relena and monitoring her security full time right now. And if that's isn't enough" Trowa's eyes tighten more. "You two would end up killing each other." Heero was about to retort Trowa's statements when Une cut in.

"I agree with Barton." Both men whipped their heads around. Both their eyes wide as she went on. "Trowa, I will allow her to stay with you. But under these conditions." She looked pointedly at Heero before looking back to Trowa. "You are a hundred percent responsible for her and her actions. Understood? She will also have to check in when you're at work."

Trowa nodded his head. He understood. Even though he had already been feeling responsible for her since they first met. "How often will she be required to check in?"

"Every two hours."

"Every hour." Heero shot back. "I want her checking in every hour, on the hour. No exceptions. I also want GPS monitoring. She will not be allowed to leave the apartment unless being transported back to HQ." Heero said as he stared at Trowa.

After a few tense and silent moments. Une cleared her throat. Regaining both men's attention. "I have a phone set up her for. It has all of our numbers program into it." She looked directly at Heero. "It also has GPS on it so we can make sure she is where she says she is. She will have to report in every hour and she _will_ report to me daily via email or by phone. If she doesn't adhere to these rules, I will have no choice but to arrest her and hold her till after ROE is taken down." She waited a moment watching Heero. His face had gone stone and he had crossed his arms over his chest. "Are these conditions up to your standards, Agent Yuy?"

Heero knew they could be better. But he didn't think he could win his argument now that Une agreed to allow Serena stay with Trowa. "Yes." He glanced at Trowa. His face was masked but he caught the others man's eye.

"Very well then." Une reached into her desk pulling out the phone. "Barton, this is her phone. You are to explain everything we have gone over with her and I want her to report to me tonight. You are to go collect her and make sure that no one sees you leave with her. I will make sure to clear the area but keep your eyes open." Trowa nodded before accepting the phone. "You're both dismissed."

Heero was the first to quickly exit the room. Trowa pocketed the phone while thanking Une before heading out of her office. In the hallway he saw Heero waiting for him.

"Barton." Heero glared up at him. "I don't know what the hell you're thinking but heed my warning." Trowa tried to keep his face masked, but as he watched Heero he couldn't help his own scowl from forming. "Do not. I repeat, _do not_ get involved with her in any way. Do I make myself clear?"

Trowa wasn't sure how to take the statement. Was he being protective of Serena or was it because he didn't trust her? "Yeah." Was all he could say before moving past him. Heero followed closed behind him as he made his way to the elevator.

"I mean it Barton." Heero growled.

Trowa was going to ask him why he was coming with him. But he didn't want to give the other man the satisfaction of another argument. They said nothing to each other as they made their way down to the medical floors. Exiting the elevator they headed towards Serena's room. Finally the tension got to him. "You don't need to be here. Go home or something Yuy." His words laced with anger.

Heero snorted. "Like hell." He said as he swiped his badge. He was going to have his own talk with Serena. What had greeted them when the door opened only ticked him off more. Duo was laughing. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes as he held his stomach. Serena was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest while she tried to hide her amusement.

"That's fucking hysterical!" Duo yelled while still in laughing. Serena's bantering was getting to him. He couldn't believe how hard he had been laughing. After he had given her some romantic advice which didn't seem to go over too well with her. She had switched gears and began a line of questioning on him. It resulted in laughter and jokes. He couldn't believe how easy it was to just "shoot the shit", as he explained to her the terminology. Duo was finding that possibly hanging out with her more would result in one hell of a good time. He was surprising himself even with how much he actually really liked her. Not that it was hard. He usually befriended people easily. But he figured Serena would be just as hard as Heero was to befriend.

Trowa and Heero had stopped just inside of the room. Trowa saw Heero stiffen while his hands clenched. "What the _hell_ is going on in here!?" Heero's voice rang out. Causing Duo to stop laughing all together. Serena's head shot up to lock eyes with him.

"Whoa, Heero. Trowa! Didn't see you guys there. Man you guys just missed it!" Duo waved his arms dramatically. "Rena's one hell of a jokester. Hell she could give me a run for my money!" Duo laughter filled the room again. "I didn't know she could actually be so funny!"

Serena watched as Heero's face turned to stone. His fits were balled at his waist and it was a clear sign he wasn't happy. "Duo.." She said quietly. "Not now."

"What do you mean? C'mon Rena! We all need a good laugh every once in awhile!"

"Enough!" Heero bellowed. "Maxwell shut it. Serena!" Anger was getting the better of him. But at the moment he didn't care anymore. Everything started with her. As far as he saw it, all of this mess was her fault. "I don't know what you're planning on doing or how you plan on doing it. But you better listen." Heero took a few long strides before he was close enough to grapes Serena. "You've lied to me. I don't care if you didn't know that someone was going to hurt Relena, you should've told me everything the first time we spoke."

Duo looked between them before looking over to Trowa. He couldn't understand anything Heero was saying. Though it was obvious that Heero wanted the conversation to stay between himself and Serena.

"What are you really saying?" Serena shot back.

"You put Relena in harm's way. I can't let that just slip so easily like everyone else." Heero tightened his glare. "Enough of this bullshit, Serena. If there's anything, and I mean anything else, you better tell me right now."

Serena stood abruptly, coming face to face with him. "I told you that I didn't know. I'm sorry. Everything I told you the first time was the truth. I never lied to you about that."

"But you did lie." Heero shot back.

Serena lifted her chin so their eyes were more level. "How would you have done this if you were in my shoes? My whole life has revolved around training and taking orders. I'm in a position I didn't plan for." She wasn't going to attempt that she may of lied. "What would you have done?"

Heero took a step back. He hadn't of view it that way. Anger had clouded his judgment. Things were different now. But she was right. If he was in the same position he would of done things the same. He _had done_ things the same way. Serena saw the change in his demeanor. She lowered her voice. "I'm sorry. I told you this was all new for me. I'm willing to help. But you need to trust me, as I trust you."

Heero had lowered his head. Shielding his eyes with his bangs. The nagging voice was back. Telling him to accept her apology. He lifted his head when he heard her start to speak again. "If I could change things, I would. But we can't change the past. We can only change the future."

"I want you to listen to me." Heero was still angry but he for once was going to listen to that voice in his head. "I'll accept your apology. But it doesn't mean I fully trust you." He took a breath trying to calm himself. "You'll be leaving HQ." He watched as Serena arched a brow in confusion. "You'll be staying with Barton." Serena's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean?"

"Une has agreed to allow you to stay at Barton's. I'll let him fill you in on everything. But you better listen. And listen carefully." Heero took a small step towards her. "You _will_ follow my orders at all times. And you _will_ check in with me personally daily as well. Do I make myself clear?"

Serena tightened her eyes. "Yes." Heero nodded his head before turning on his heel.

"Maxwell." Heero called over his shoulder. "My office."

"Whelp… that was interesting." Duo shot Serena a look before standing up. "Well I guess I'll see you later Rena!" Duo waved to her before making his way to the door where Trowa had remained. "Later Trowa!"

Serena watched as Duo and Heero left. She turned to Trowa as he came to stand next to her. "Can you tell me what the hell just happened?" Both her brows were arched before she shook her head. "I don't even think I understand what's going on anymore."

Trowa shook his own head. "Let's pack your things and I'll explain." He figured Heero might of said something when Serena didn't question him. "I'll grab a bag for you. Just gather everything and I'll be right back." He watched as she nodded her head before moving around the room collecting the few things she had.

* * *

Trowa explained everything to Serena as they packed a duffle bag. Heero had returned with his spare laptop shortly after they had finished. He told Serena that she would be using it while staying with Trowa. She would have to work remotely since she wouldn't be staying at Preventers. Trowa noticed that Heero had somewhat calmed down and was speaking calmly to Serena. Serena nodded her head but didn't say much other than asking him for the log in formation.

They were able to leave without incident. Heero had doubled checked the area before they left the room to enter the parking garage. The whole ride to his apartment was spent in silence. He wanted to talk but he wasn't sure if Serena was in the mood to. She had been staring out the passenger window the whole time they drove. He just hoped this whole situation would work out. Not just for himself but for her as well. It was a gamble either way. He wasn't even fully sure why he had offered his place. Even if it did make the most sense.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled them up alongside a six story building. It housed a complex of apartments ranging in size. Turning into the parking lot, located next to the building. He parked his Preventers issues black SUV into his parking space. Climbing out of the vehicle. he opened the passenger rear door before pulling out the duffle bag. Serena had insisted she was capable of carrying the bag herself. But he had taken it upon himself to carry it for her.

The two made their way into the building before walking over to the elevator. Trowa pressed the arrow up button as Serena came to stand next him. They waited quietly for the elevator to return to ground level. Once inside he processed to hit the 3rd floor button. The pair continued to remain silent on the ride up. Each swimming in their own thoughts. When they arrived on the third floor, Serena followed behind him as they walked down the hallway till he stopped in front of apartment 333. He produced a set of keys from his pocket and proceeded to unlock the door. He allowed her in before before entering himself. Setting the duffle bag on the small dining room table that was set off to the left of the entrance way. He watched as Serena walk more into _his_ apartment.

Serena looked around at her new surroundings. A decent size kitchen was placed to the right of where the dining table sat. With a small island that had two bar stools nestled underneath. From there her eyes traveled to the living room where a couch was set in the middle facing a TV. Two sets of windows on either side. The tall windows allowed the naturalight to fill the whole room. As her eyes continued to roam she noticed a large bookcase set off to the side along with an armchair. Walking past Trowa she made her way towards it.

Trowa watched her as she walked to the bookcase. She looked like she was in awe over the books that lined the shelves as she ran her fingers along one of the shelves. He enjoyed reading in his down time. Some were gifted to him and others he had collected over the years. Even if he hadn't read all of them. He still enjoyed collecting an era of literature.

"Have you read all these?" Her voice floated to his ears.

Trowa looked to see her questioning blue eyes. "Most of them, but some I haven't had the chance to read." She smiled at him softly as she turned to look back at the collection of books. "You're more than welcome to read any." She turned her head back to look at him. The soft smile still there.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _Happy Thursday! Wait what!? Thursday? Yes I am posting on a Thursday! I realized that tomorrow I may not have any service where I'm going to be, so I'm posting a day early. :) now on Timmy original message!_

 _Well a lot kind of happened this chapter. So Serena has a Gundam... well at least the cockpit of one. And that may be missing? Her and Duo a bonding pretty well I'd say. He seems to have taken a liking to her and wants to play match maker? Well then again this is Duo so it's not like it's a complete unrealistic idea. Then we have the fact Trowa is offering up his place for her to stay. Wonder how this is going to go? Anyone? Any ideas? Also her and Heero don't seem to be getting along. Can anyone blame him for the way he feels?_

 _Have a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **First Night**

Heero ran a hand through his hair as he sat in the kitchen of Relena's townhouse. After leaving HQ he went straight to the Capitol Building. He had left Relena in the hands of a few agents he had personally trained and trusted. Relena had been checking in during the four hours he was away. While it wasn't unusual for them to check in with one another, but with recent events, Heero was more on edge about everything, and he just wanted to make sure she was safe. Even if he couldn't be there to protect her himself.

Relena had put up a fight about leaving her office so early but in the end Heero promised to let her continue working. From _home_. And without interruption. He had set to work making dinner for them while she was on a conference call in her office. Which she was still on as he checked the time for the thousandth time. Dinner was done and he had checked the house and yard multiple times already. He was debating getting up again and checking his security footage when Relena came into the kitchen.

"Sorry," she said as she moved to sit at the breakfast bar. "I didn't mean for that to take as long as it did. Dinner looks amazing. Thank you Heero." A warm smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Hn. What was the conference call about?" Relena took a bite of her food. Savoring the flavors before she waved a hand at him.

"It was just Klein. He wanted to go over a few of the bills that will be presented next week."

Heero nodded his head before taking a bite of his own food. He made a teriyaki style chicken with rice and steamed vegetables.

"So are you going to tell me why you have that look on your face?"

"Huh?" Heero stared blankly at Relena as she took another bite of her food.

"When you came to get me earlier you looked like you were about to go blow up something or _someone_." Relena put down her fork as she turned on the bar stool to fully face him. "You have the same look now. So are you going to tell me what happened today?"

"I'm just concerned about your safety." He frowned when he saw her roll her eyes.

"I know you do and I appreciated the fact you care so much but that's not the whole truth. So tell me what happened?" She pressed her lips into a fine line.

Heero sighed. Why did he even bother trying to lie or hide something from Relena? She always seemed to pick up on everything and would eventually come to her own conclusions. "We interrogated Serena."

"You _what!?_ " Her voice rose.

"Wufei found Watson dead in this cell this morning. Him and Duo had interrogated him but were unable to obtain any information." Relena gasped with the news of Watson's death. But she didn't say anything letting Heero continue. "Une and I agreed that we should have Serena... go on the record about everything. Or at least try to."

"So you interrogated her!? She's not some terrorist! She's working _with_ Preventers!"

Heero sighed to himself again. This is why he really didn't want to tell Relena any of this. "She could still be an enemy of Preventers and _ESUN_. Who's to truly say she isn't?"

"Heero, you and I both know she isn't. If she was she would've completed whatever mission she was sent on by now. She would of done something. She's _is_ like you, you know. Her mission was never to engage us. I believe her and I trust in her to do the right thing. She knows what we're up against and she seems willing to help."

Heero frowned as he looked away from Relena. It seemed almost as if Relena knew more than she was letting on. Which meant that Serena had said something to her. But that only brought on more questions of what they spoke about. Relena didn't allow him to go into the room with her when she had seen Serena last.

"So… how did it go?" Relena's voice broke through his thoughts as he snapped his head back to face her. "At this point you should just tell me. Or I'm going to find out for myself."

Heero cursed under his breath. Relena was right. She's probably go and ask Duo for the information. "She revealed a good amount of information. Still not enough. But Une thinks it's enough for us to start taking some kind of action." Heero turned his eyes away from her. He didn't want to mention the fact that she had revealed to them that there were Mobile Suits being built. Along with a Gundam. "That and Une agreed to let Serena stay with Barton."

"So Serena is staying with Trowa?"

"Yeah. She should've stayed at my apartment. Where _I_ could watch her better." Heero said bitterly as he took bite of his food.

"Which would probably only result in you two going after each other. One of you would either end up hurt or dead." Relena pressed her lips together again. "And how could you watch over her and be with _me_?" She arched a brow at him. "You didn't really think it all the way through did you?. Regardless, I think it's a good idea. She seems to respond better to Trowa anyway, and if she's going to work alongside you guys. _You,"_ she said pointing a finger at him. "Need to get over things and work with her. If you give her a chance you may be surprised."

Heero was going to say anything but Relena held up a hand. "Don't. Let's just enjoy the rest of our evening alright? I don't want to argue about this and I appreciate you telling me."

If Heero was to be completely honest with Relena, he wasn't happy about any of this. He was down right _pissed_ at this point. He kept his face as masked as he could. For once Relena seemed satisfied with his answers and he really didn't want to talk about the topic anymore. The whole day had once again gone to shit. He was still upset with Serena and then Trowa went and topped things off by telling Une that Serena could stay with _him._

Heero caught sight of Relena's ips curling up before she leaned in closer to him. "Maybe if you're good…" She trialed off before she pressed her body into his before finishing her sentence in a whisper.

* * *

Relena waited till Heero left the bedroom to go check the house and to make sure the security system was working correctly before going to bed. Grabbing her phone she smiled when she saw that her request had been granted.

Saving the number, she quickly wrote a message.

" _Relena? Is everything okay?"_

Relena smiled to herself. Always the same first response. _They_ really were too much alike. "Everything's fine. Heero told me you're at Trowa's. I wanted to see if you were doing alright."

" _Relena how did you get my number? I know Heero didn't give it to you."_

Relena smiled again as she responded. "I have my ways. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask, alright? I'll try and talk with you tomorrow at some point. If you know who isn't around."

" _Alright... Thank you. And I'm warning you now. If he finds out he's going to be angry."_

"Let him. I don't see why we can't speak to one another. Heero will just have to learn to deal with it. Have a goodnight Serena."

" _Goodnight."_

Relena looked up in time to see Heero come back into the room. A frown on his face as he got back into bed.

"What? Did I forget to lock a window or something?" Relena tried to sound casual.

"No, you didn't. You should go to bed though." Relena frowned as she put away her phone.

"I should say the same to you."

"What were you doing?" Heero asked as he pulled her closer.

"Just checking my e-mail." _A lie_

"This late at night? I thought we agreed no work related things after nine?" Heero deadpanned. Huffing, Relena pulled away from him.

"That was _your_ rule. Not mine. Plus you work all hours of the day. So why can't I?"

Heero tried to refrain from rolling his eyes. "It's my job to protect you. It's a 24/7 job, Relena. _Your_ job doesn't need you every night into the early hours of the morning."

" _My_ job does require me to work 24/7 as well. And _you_ know that. I think you're just trying to domesticate me earlier than planned."

"Huh?" Relena chuckled as she saw the confused look on his face.

"If you want to so badly Heero, you should just ask me to marry you." Heero's eye grew wide. She had hinted a few times that she wanted to someday get married. But he still felt it was too early. Not to mention how that would impact her political image. Marrying the head of her security along with the fact he was a Gundam pilot. If that information got out her career could potentially be over.

"Don't you think it's a little too soon to be thinking about this?"

Relena frowned as she looked at him. His face was a stone mask as always and for once his eyes weren't giving her any clue as to what he was truly thinking. "Heero, we've been together for _almost_ four years. In fact isn't our anniversary in two weeks?" She lifted a brow at him. "All I'm asking is for you to think about it. It's not like I'm asking for a baby." She grinned at him.

His face must of paled as her smile grew wider. Marriage wasn't something that was out of the question. But having a baby before they were even married… not so much. It's wasn't that he had never played with the idea. In his perfect world he would marry Relena and father her children. In his perfect world he wouldn't have to worry about her safety or his future children's safety. But it wasn't a perfect world. Even though they both tried to make it so. "Maybe some time down the line. But I don't think it's a good idea right now."

Relena was left speechless. She wasn't expecting him to even comment on the subject. Let alone say it was a possibility. Did Heero Yuy really want to marry her? She had dreamed about it and hoped. But it wasn't a topic they had ever really discussed before.

It had taken them years to finally get where they were today. It wasn't that either of them didn't want to be in a relationship. It was more of their age at the time and mainly their jobs. Heero had joined Preventers a year after the agency had been formed and he ended up being assigned away from her a lot in the beginning of his career. Not to mention her own career had her traveling everywhere and sometimes for long periods of time.

Their schedules conflicted with each other's. But sometimes the stars would align and Heero would be on her security detail. It wasn't until Une offered him to become head of her security that they finally were able to make the time to fully start putting more effort into an actual relationship. If Relena was to be completely honest, they had been technically dating for almost six years, instead of just four.

To keep things simple she turned their "first" official date into their anniversary. Heero had somehow managed to get them a private table at her favorite restaurant. For once the media hadn't found out and it ended up being a wonderful dinner with him. They had gone on other dates but it was the first time they were truly left alone. Relena had questioned if Heero might have threatened the staff at the restaurant but she had quickly pushed the notion aside. They were able to be themselves that night and just simply enjoy each other. They still went on dates even now, but most of the time they'd have to play it off as they were just out as friends. Sometimes Relena wished they could just come out and be honest with the world. It would be less stressful for the both of them. But Heero, once again, didn't like the idea.

Relena briefly wondered if that could change. The more she thought about things the more her head continued to spin in circles. It seemed like the conversation was over when Heero kissed her goodnight before pulling her back down onto the bed. Murmuring that they should get some sleep.

As she laid curled up against his chest she knew she would no doubt have these thoughts floating around in her mind. Maybe it was time for a change… for the both of them.

* * *

The first night wasn't as bad as Serena thought it might be. While it was slightly awkward being in someone else's home. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and tried to remain herself. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the fact Trowa had offered to have her stay with him. It just meant keeping up with an appearance.

An appearance that she may not be able to uphold.

Serena had broken down her walls once to express herself to Heero. But at the time she thought maybe he'd understand more. Since their training had been so similar. Trowa on the other hand... she knew somewhere in her mind that he would understand. Possibly be sympathetic towards her but that wasn't what she really wanted. And then there was another issue. Showing him who she truly was. She wasn't sure she was ready to do such a thing. She wasn't even sure she could truly show who she was to anyone. She had kept herself locked away for so long. And deep down, she knew she was still the monster of someone else's creation.

Trowa had been kind to her. He never really raised his voice to her. Only on the morning she learned J had set them up. Had set _her_ up. He always spoke softly to her. Keeping his tone light as they talked. Even when they'd laughed. She was finding herself enjoying his company more and more with each passing day. They had only known each other for a little over two weeks now but his personality and demeanor were easy for her to get along with. They were similar in some ways and it was almost a comfort for her. She knew more about him than he did her. But that was something that might have to change. They were now "living" together for an unseeable extended period of time. It was probably a matter of time before he learned more about her and her habits.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

For the first time in a long time she was starting to feel more like herself. But part of her wasn't even sure if she was the same person she had been back in A.C. 198. So much had changed in such a short amount of time. And somehow she still held onto a few small pieces of herself. She knew she'd never be _that girl_ again. Maybe it was for the best. She was faster, stronger, and smarter now. She knew how to work situations to her advantage. Not everything that had happened to her had been so bad. But then again, she didn't know any other way of life.

Serena had spent the first night laying in the bed that was to be hers for her duration of stay with Trowa. He had helped her to lay down fresh sheets and had shown her around the apartment. Though most of it was a large living space with his bedroom off the kitchen and the guest room and bathroom on the opposite side. Along with the linen closet that housed a washer and drier. Overall it wasn't a bad place. Though she didn't understand at first why he had gotten a two bedroom apartment in the first place.

She had questioned him about it when they sat down to eat. Trowa had apologized for the lack of food and had ordered a pizza. Which was fine by her. She enjoyed "junk" foods as much as the next person. Though she normally did try and eat as healthy as possible. At least whenever she had the chance to.

The pizza tasted amazing. Her taste buds had gone off like fireworks. She hadn't had this good of a pizza since she had last been in Italy. She learned that he had gotten the two bedroom for when mainly Catherine came to visit. He had asked her if she knew who Catherine was. Serena had bit her lips but she responded with an honest answer.

" _Yes."_

Trowa had finally asked her how she knew so much about them then. She had turned away from him. Unsure of how to answer the question. She ended up giving him a simple answer though it wasn't the complete truth.

How does one fully explain that she had seen everything they had ever seen? To know how they felt at one point or another? Trowa was wasn't the hardest to learn. His memories of his childhood were vague at best. His adolescence was easier to learn and memorize. Even when he was piloting Heavyarms. She had learned more about him during the war than she had prior. Even when he lost his memory. He was able to gain it back because of the ZERO system.

Which was truly why she knew so much. The system had stored away a file with each person who came into contact with it. Even Zechs had his own file. Somehow J collected the data and kept it. For whatever reason. But it did come in handy for her. She had spent a great deal of time learning everything she could about these people. Especially a few select few. It gave her an advantage when it came to dealing with them. _If_ she ever had to encounter them. Which was proving useful now.

Serena had spent the night questioning her own actions and trying to figure out the outcome of her decisions. Every step, every move she made from here on out could have a significant reaction. Was she willing to sacrifice everything to hold onto peace? Or was she willing to sacrifice the rest of the world for the sake of a mission... a mission she wasn't even sure about anymore.

* * *

Serena was sitting at the breakfast bar looking at random things on the screen of her laptop. It had been three days since she started stay with Trowa. Everything was going well, or at least as well as someone in her position could hope for.

She had given up looking through the personnel files of some of the Preventers agents that Une had given her for her first assignment. She was instructed to go through everyone's files and look for anyone who was associated with ROE. Along with a second assignment that was to remain classified for the time being.

She had told Une that it would take her some time to do both. Especially the second one. Depending on how fast she got through all the files. They agreed to start with the files first, and so far she had found two. One was located on L2 while the other was located at the Paris Branch Office. They hadn't made any move to arrest them just yet. Une wanted to wait till they had everyone possible identified to hopefully not arouse any suspicion.

Serena sat singing softly to herself as she added more items to her shopping cart. It wasn't something she had done in a long time and she found it slightly odd she was allowing herself to do so now. Shaking the thoughts aside she continued to sing while looking for a particular item. One she felt she needed to find.

She knew Heero was monitoring what she was doing on his laptop remotely. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he wanted her to use his in the first place. She was hoping to get some rise out of him when he checked to see what she had been doing. It wasn't like she _wasn't_ working. But she did need clothes and what better than to take a break and do some online shopping.

Her shopping was cut short when an incoming video call came through. On _Trowa's_ laptop.

 _So my message got through._ She thought to herself as she moved his in front of her. Accepting the call she was greeted by a face that she knew all too well.

"Hello, _Delta._ " The man on the screen smiled widely at her. "It's been awhile since I've last spoken to you."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Late Night Coffee**

Trowa had been working away on his computer. Doing the reports he had yet to finish from the previous two weeks. Since Serena had been staying at his place, he was back to working full time in his office.

His work was interrupted when Heero barged in. A scowl etched on Heero's face as he came to stand in front of Trowa's desk.

"What can I do for you, Heero?" Trowa said evenly as he moved his hands away from the keyboard.

"Has Serena checked in?" The scowl still on his face.

Trowa lifted a brow before checking his phone. It was eleven o'three. Three minutes past her check in time. "No she hasn't but I'm sure there's a good explanation as to why."

Heero growled. "This is why I didn't want her…" Heero stopped when not only his phone went off but Trowa's phone as well.

"She checked in." Trowa said as he held up his phone.

Heero grabbed the phone not bothering to look at his own. " _Checking in. Sorry for being late. Was making something to eat."_

"It was three minutes Heero. She's been checking in, and I've checked in with her randomly. She's responded back promptly every time."

Heero scrolled through the messages. Besides for her normal " _checking in."_ There were a few small conversations between the two of them from the previous days. Mainly dinner discussions or how she was doing. She had only responded with simple answers along with the few times she asked him if he could send her another round of files. Other than that, there wasn't much to their conversations.

Against his better judgment he quickly typed up a message and sent it. He waited a few seconds before a photo appeared. Followed quickly by a text.

Trowa stared at Heero as he muttered something under his breath before handing the phone back over to him. He watched as Heero turned on his heel, storming out of his office. Looking down at the screen of his phone he saw that Serena had sent a photo of herself smiling brightly while she held up her middle finger. The text following read, " _Heero I know it's you. Next time just text me on your own phone."_

Trowa scrolled up to see what Heero had said. " _You shouldn't have been three minutes late."_

Trowa couldn't help himself as he began to laugh. He was almost in tears when he sent her a message of his own. "You know that pissed him off right?"

" _I wish I could've seen his face."_

"He stormed out of my office. I'm sure you'll be hearing from him."

" _Haha! I'm sure. I'll see you later today?"_

Trowa smiled as he typed out his last message. "Yeah. I'll see you when I get home."

* * *

Serena set her phone back. Looking back up to the laptop screen. A frown on the man's face. "Are you done playing games, _Delta_?"

"I told you that I have to check in every hour. I was late." Serena crossed her arms over her chest. Glaring at the screen.

"Ah yes. Well we can't let that happen again. It would be unwise for any of them to become suspicious. _Especially_ Heero."

"Yeah…" was all she could say. She tightened her eyes as she stared at the man on her screen. "Do I have new orders?"

The man smiled again at her. "That depends. Do you have any credible information that we can use?"

Serena turned her head away looking out one of windows in the living room. "You know I don't. I've told you everything that has happened thus far." When she turned her head back she saw that his brows were knitted together.

"That's disappointing." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Then your orders are…"

* * *

Later that night Serena stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. Hoping it wouldn't wake Trowa up. It was already two in the morning and she still had another set of files to go over before sending in her latest report. After the video call she had all but completely given up on doing any more work. She had paced the apartment trying to figure out what to do. It didn't help that around three in the afternoon Relena had called her. While she didn't mind talking to her and had been enjoying the conversations they had been having the last two days. She wasn't really in the mood to talk.

It didn't make things better when she learned that Relena had already heard about her stunt earlier that morning. While Relena did admit to laughing, she said it would be a good idea to stop doing such things. It would only put a strain on her and Heero's relationship. Serena had rolled her eyes and was grateful that Relena couldn't see her.

They didn't have a good standing relationship at the moment. They didn't even have any kind of _relationship_. While she knew that she probably was doing more damage than good. It was hard at times to not poke some fun at him. As childish as it was. But then again, she never had a childhood.

Serena had taken Relena's advice though and during her next check in she had apologized to him. He didn't say anything back other than a simple " _ok,"_ before later sending her a longer message.

Heero had told her that she wasn't helping her own case any by pulling " _shit like that"_ on him, and that if she wanted " _this, whatever it was"_ to work out, she needed to work harder on controlling herself. She had agreed and told him that she wouldn't do it anymore and went on to inform him of another finding. She knew it was going to take her some time to get through all the files but she hoped that she could get it done. And done fast. The quicker it got done the more likely Heero would be happy with her.

Serena sighed when she heard her phone vibrate in the living room. Grabbing her coffee she moved back onto the couch. Looking down at her phone it was a message from Heero. " _Why are you still awake?"_

She frown then looked at the laptop before looking at her phone. "I see you're checking in on me."

" _Serena…"_

"Heero I know you're hacking into your own laptop. You currently have the internet open." She watched as the internet page quickly disappeared off her screen. She waited for a responses but after a minute she didn't receive one. "Heero… look I'm trying to get through this last set of files before I get the next batch in."

" _You should get some sleep. It wouldn't be smart to try and look through everything half awake."_

"While I appreciate the concern I'm almost done. After I'll go to bed alright?"

There was another pause in his response time before the next message came in. " _Fine. If you don't check in at nine, I'll be calling."_

"Sure thing. Get some rest. You shouldn't be awake either."

" _Goodnight."_

"Night, Heero."

Serena laid her phone back down. Shaking her head she brought the laptop back into her lap. Sipping her coffee she started going through the rest of the files. Even if her mind was stuck on the fact Heero had checked on her this early in the morning and the fact that he was actually nice her to for a change.

She sighed before grabbing her phone. She set an alarm for eight-fifty-five. Worse case, she could just wake up to just to check in then pass back out for a little. Though the more she thought about it. The more it likely wouldn't happen. Heero knew that she would be needing more personnel files sent to her in the morning.

 _It's not like you've never stayed up before._ She said to herself. Before looking down at the mug of coffee. _I'm going to have to order more coffee. Trowa's going to wonder why we went through the whole container in just a few days._

* * *

"Heero what are you doing?"

Heero snapped his head up to see Relena standing in the doorway to the office.

"What could you possibly be doing at this hour in the morning?" She asked as she came to stand next time.

"Relena you should go back to bed."

Relena frowned as she tighten her robe. "You're avoiding my question. You're checking to see what Serena has been doing aren't you?"

"I have to make sure she isn't doing anything she isn't supposed to be doing." He frowned when his phone went off.

"And I see you're talking to her now. I'm guessing you sent her a message first?"

He sent a message back before responding to her. "Yeah. She's awake working on the remaining files Trowa sent her earlier."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. But she should be asleep. Like you." He looked pointedly at her. "That and I checked her internet history." He turned his attention back to his phone sending his final message to Serena.

"Oh. And what did you find exactly?" Relena arched a brow at him.

"She's been shopping online. In fact she's ordering coffee?" Heero's face deadpanned as he watched the screen of his laptop. "Why the hell is she ordering coffee at this hour?"

Relena laughed before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well that I can't answer other than maybe they need more coffee?" Heero turned his head slightly to look at her. "As far as the shopping goes. She ordered new clothes."

"How do you know that?" His brow lifting.

"She told me so." Relena sighed as she pulled away from him. Her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Heero you do know I talk to her to at least once a day." She saw his face deadpan again. "She told me earlier that she would be returning my clothes once her order came in. I told her not to worry but I can understand her wanting her _own_ things."

"How did you get her number?"

Relena smiled brightly. "I asked for it."

"From who?"

"Duo."

Heero cursed under his breath as he shut down his laptop. Of course Duo would give her Serena's number without a second thought. "Let's go back to bed. You have a meeting tomorrow morning."

Relena watched as he stood up from the chair. She always did enjoy finding him working on something in the early morning hours. He usually only had on a pair of shorts or in this case a pair of sweatpants. His sculpted chest flexing slightly as he pocketed his cell phone. Her lips curled up slightly as her eyes traveled along his body. "Oh do we have to?"

Heero eyed her carefully. Her hands were still on her hips but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away. Smirking he moved to swiftly lifted her up into his arms. Her own arms coming around his neck as she laughed. He kissed her soundly on the lips before heading out of the office and back to the bedroom. Another twenty minutes wouldn't hurt them. Plus they could just make sure to bring extra coffee into work that morning.

* * *

Trowa knew Serena was up late the night before. He had heard the coffee machine but he didn't bother to get out of bed. She had told him that she was going to finish the files she had before going to bed.

When he finally came out of his room he found her curled up the couch with the laptop still on and her phone clutched in her hand. She didn't even have a blanket on herself and he knew she probably wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. He walked quietly back into his room grabbing the extra blanket off his bed before heading back into the living room. Draping it over her body, he hoped she'd sleep for another two hours before she would have to check in.

Satisfied that she was comfortable he debated making more coffee. There was only a small amount left from when she had made some. Probably from the night before. Deciding not to make any noise that might wake her. He put on his boots before leaving the apartment. He could stop on the way into work and being a little early wasn't a bad thing.

* * *

Heero had gone in early to get a few things done before heading to Relena's office for the rest of the day. Duo was only able to work for a few hours before heading to the spaceport to pick up Hilde. From his understanding they were more or less going to start looking for a place to live since Duo was staying longer for the Charity Ball. It didn't really matter to him as long as someone he trusted was with Relena whenever he couldn't be. He may of been head of her security but he also had other duties that required his skill set.

Which at the moment was helping the IT department with the new security software that he had been working on. Between everything that had been going on it had taken him longer to finish the program. At the last minute he decided to change a few of the codes to make it harder for someone to try and access any information in their systems. With the knowledge that they had spies within their agency. He needed to make sure someone couldn't just hack in and change or delete any files.

He was halfway through the coding when a knock came on his door. Allowing the person in he was surprised to see Trowa. He stopped typing as Trowa took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Something wrong Barton?"

Trowa shook his head. "No but I figured I'd let you know that when I left this morning Serena was asleep on the couch." He watched as Heero frowned at the information.

"I told her to not stay up late."

Trowa raised his one visible brow. "You talked to her last night?"

"Yeah at two in the morning. She was still working." Heero crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess I'll be calling her in a few minutes then."

"That's why I came to see you." Trowa said as he leaned back in the chair. "Just let her sleep. I'm sure the minute she wakes up she'll be calling."

"I already told her I'd call at nine if she didn't check in."

Trowa's mirrored the other man's posture. "Heero she's working hard to help us. Just give her another hour before calling alright?"

Heero was about to say something when his phone began to ring. Checking the caller ID, his brow lifted as he accepted the call. "Serena?"

A muffled voice came through the other end. " _I'm checking in."_

"Are you even awake?" A mumble came before he tried again. "Serena how late were you up last night?"

" _I don't know. Five maybe six o'clock?"_

Heero sighed as he brought a hand to his head. "Alright just go back to sleep. I'll call you in two hours."

" _Okay…"_

Heero looked at Trowa as he brought the phone down, placing it back on his desk. Trowa had crossed his arms again waiting to hear an explanation. "She said she didn't get bed till five or six. She was half talking, half mumbling."

Trowa nodded his head. "Thank you for giving her a break."

"Yeah." Heero wasn't thrilled but after talking to her. Two hours wouldn't be so bad plus he needed her to be able to keep going through the personnel files. Which she had yet to send in her last report. That only meant she hadn't finished the other files last night.

Trowa was starting to stand to leave his office when a new email window popped up into his screen. "Hm?"

"What is it?" Trowa asked leaning over the desk slightly.

"She sent in her report from the last batch of files. Though I'm not sure what the end of her report says." Heero turned his screen for Trowa to view.

Trowa chuckled as he tried to read the last sentence. "I think it says " _please send more."_ Then I think her name." Trowa looked at Heero's face before standing up straight. "I'm guessing she tried to send it before falling asleep. She probably wanted to get it sent out to us so she just typed whatever at the end. Though, " _Erna Loll"_ is an interesting way to spell her name."

Heero nodded his head before turning his screen back around. "Wait to send her more. Let me know if she wakes up before eleven?"

"Yeah, sure." Heero watched as Trowa left his office, shutting the door behind him. He sighed as he pulled the security program up again. He wondered as he started to type if he was being too lenient with Serena. Though she sounded like her face was buried in the couch cushion when he spoke to her. She _did_ call him to check in so he couldn't be that angry with her.

That and Trowa had a point. She was working hard to help. Even with her last report she managed to send in. Even with the hazerly typed last sentence. He chuckled as he thought about how she attempted to spell her name. It was a good effort and she was trying. That was for sure.

* * *

Serena closed the laptop screen with one eye open. She didn't even care if she spelt her name right or whatever she had tried to type at the end. She figured she could just call Trowa or Heero later.

She rolled over on her side to face away from the windows where a small amount of light was seeping through the blinds. She pulled the blanket back up covering herself again. She didn't know how she had obtained the blanket. But as she took a deep breath she smelled a familiar scent.

It was _Trowa's_ scent.

Serena wondered if he had placed the blanket on her when he left for work. She didn't think long though as she smiled while taking another deep breath. His scent filling her lungs as she fell back asleep.

* * *

 _Happy Friday! Yes that's right, we have here a double chapter update! So lets dive into it shall we?_

 _We learned in the last chapter a little more about Serena. But we still don't know too much. With this chapter do you think she's really working with Preventers? Or is she still working for someone else? Any guesses to who she was talking to? And what about this second assignment Une gave her? I think Serena needs to spend some time thinking more about what she should do. Maybe we'll see more into what shes thinking?_

 _I'm excited for next weeks chapter. I just need to fine tune it a little more...but things are going to be heating up between some people. :-D! I hope you all have a great weekend and stay tuned for more!_

 _-MM_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **No Turning Back**

It had been a little over a week since Serena started staying with him. It was a slight adjustment at first. Though if Trowa was to be honest, he enjoyed coming home to someone. Even if they weren't romantically involved. Just knowing someone was there waiting for him made him feel good.

Even their conversations during the day made him excited to go home and see her. Her " _I'll see you later?"_ always made him smile. Serena seemed more comfortable being at his place with him. She and Heero had even been getting along better than they had been. They still argued about some things but for the most part they weren't at each other's throats.

The first night they ended up eating pizza since he needed to buy groceries. He hadn't really bought any in two weeks and it was something he was going to have to do. Serena had offered to pay since she was going to be staying with him. But he had refused. Since then she had cooked dinner almost every night. Making sure he had a hot meal. Even if it was just left overs.

Serena even made sure to keep the apartment clean and tidy, and she even went as far as to do his laundry for him. Trowa didn't expect her to do anything. But he understood that she needed some sort of purpose while being there. Other than working on the personnel files. She had managed to read one book and was currently working on a second. He knew being locked up in the apartment wasn't exciting but he trusted her that she was a herring to the agreement.

It was Thursday night and Trowa decided on his way home to stop and pick up a bottle of wine. Unsure of what type of wine Serena preferred he grabbed a bottle of red and a bottle of white.

As he was driving to his apartment he realized he didn't even know if she drank any alcohol in the first place. What if wine wasn't her drink of choice?

Shaking his head he knew he was over thinking and figured worse case he could just save it for when Catherine came to visit next. She'd enjoyed wine.

Thinking about Catherine only bought back the earlier conversation he had had with her.

She had called to check in on him since he hadn't called her in some time. She had gone over all her usual questions.

" _How are you?"_

" _Hows work?"_

" _Everyone doing good?"_

But she also dove into the one topic he didn't enjoy the most. His personal life.

" _Have you found a girlfriend yet?"_

" _You know you should try and find a nice girl. Who knows? Maybe you'll even settle down with her. Everyone else has someone in their lives but you."_

Trowa had said he would try. _Half heartedly_. Though he wasn't sure if he wanted to look for someone or what he was even was looking for. Long term relationships were foreign to him. He never dated anyone long enough to even consider them long term.

But Cathy did have a point. Everyone else around him had found someone. Someone who completed them. Someone who had made them a better person. Someone to even have a future with.

Duo had been the first to marry. Duo and Hilde had been inseparable after Libra and it wasn't long till they tied the knot.

Heero and Relena had gotten closer after the whole Mariemaia Army incident. Something had started to spark between them from A.C. 195 to 196. And after Heero had recovered from the whole ordeal he vowed to stay close to Relena and soon their relationship truly began.

Quatre Winner, one of his close friends, had even begun dating someone. It was a bit of a shock when he first learned who the girl was but then again in some odd way, Dorothy Catalonia did compliment Quatre. They were both strong willed individuals in their beliefs. And both very goal oriented. How the relationship had lasted this long was beyond him. Dorothy did try to kill Quatre on Libra after all.

But that seemed to be a pattern amongst their group.

Heero had threatened Relena's life numerous times. While Hilde had risked her life to help Duo, along with the rest of them. Wufei was another story. Though he never said so much as a word. Trowa was positive that Wufei had also found someone. Which only left himself to be the only one who was _unattached_.

He hadn't found anyone. Much less was he looking to find someone to share his life with. It was never top priority on his list. Sure he had his fair share of fun. But that's all it ever was. _Just fun_.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he reached the apartment door. Balancing the bag containing the two wine bottles carefully, he fished out his keys before unlocked the door.

Stepping inside the smell of dinner being made drifted to his nose. Smiling to himself, he made his way into the kitchen. Setting the bag down on the on island, he looked up to see Serena smiling at him from over her shoulder. And in that moment all the thoughts he had moments ago came flooding back.

She had on a pair of ripped jeans and a loosely fitting t-shirt that was exposing one of her shoulders. A lace strap sat nestled between her collarbone and the hem of her shirt collar. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun with a few strands falling around her face. She was the look of pure innocence. Even if she wasn't so innocent. Her face was soft as she smiled at him. But her deep blue eyes had him captivated.

His breath caught as a small realization came to the forefront of his mind. Maybe he hadn't found someone because fate was waiting to bring _someone_ to him.

"Dinner's almost done." Her smiled faded slightly as she raised an eyebrow at him. "What's in the bag?"

Snapping himself out of his thoughts. Trowa looked down at the bag before looking back up to her. He had forgotten all about the wine. Slowly he pulled out both bottles. Setting them down on the island top. "I wasn't sure what kind you'd liked. So I got both a red and white wine."

A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. "I like both. But for tonight I think the white would be good." Serena spun around reaching into the cabinet. Pulling out two wine glasses before she went in search of a cork screw. Once locating it she brought all three items over to him.

"Do you mind? I'll get our plates ready and you can change out of your work clothes." Her eyes sparkled at him as she went to prepare their food.

Trowa quickly opened the bottle and poured the wine for them. Putting the cork back in he set it off to the side as he moved the other bottle next to the fridge. When he turned around Serena was placing both their plates on the on the island. They had had a few meals at the dining room table before they ended up just eating at the breakfast bar. He normally ate there anyway and Serena had no objections about it.

He quickly went into his room to change into a shirt and a pair of jeans himself before returning to see her taking her seat on the bar stool. She smiled at him once again as their eyes met. The sparkle still lingering in her blue eyes.

* * *

Dinner may of been simple that night. Baked seasoned chicken with potatoes and fresh green beans but somehow Serena always made the food taste like it was goormay.

She had openly laughed at him the first time she cooked for him. He couldn't get over how great her food tasted and how it reminded him of Catherine's cooking. She had been quick to apologize for laughing at him but after he thought about it. He couldn't help but laugh himself.

It seemed as if from that night on she had been opening up more and more to him. He had been learning new things about her. What she liked. What she didn't like. Places she had been to. Places she wanted to visit. He learned, like any other woman, that she loved chocolate. She had told him about the first time she had tasted it and how it probably ended up starting her addiction to trying as many sweets as possible. He had laughed along with her that night. It was those simple moments for him that could turn a bad day into a good day.

In return he shared information about himself. Though some of it she had already known. He had eventually asked her how she really knew so much about them. She wasn't as open about the topic but simple explained that J had files on each of them and she had gone over the them while training. He had quickly dropped the subject and didn't dare bring it back up. He had been enjoying her company far too much to push her away over information that at this point didn't even matter anymore.

When dinner was over he offered to clean up the kitchen while he poured her another glass of wine. She had refused at first before giving in.

Trowa watched Serena as she made her way into the living room. Sitting down on the couch she reached over to the coffee table grabbing the book that had been laid face down. He figured she was probably going to try and finish it tonight. He watched her for another moment as she settled into her seat before moving to tidy up the kitchen.

* * *

Once the kitchen was cleaned up and the food was put away Trowa grabbed his glass of wine and the rest of the bottle to join her on the couch. Serena was curled up on one side with her glass of wine in one hand and the book in her other. He smiled as he sat down and poured himself another glass. He looked up to see her tilting her glass towards him. A smirk on his lips as he saw her eye the bottle before returning her gaze to him. He quickly took the glass from her hand. Pouring a generous amount, he set the bottle back on the table before handing the glass back to her.

"Thank you." Serena said before taking a long, slow sip.

"It's not a problem."

Serena shook her head as she put the book down. "No, you didn't have to clean up. You're the one who's at work all day while I'm here." She gestured around with her wine glass before taking another sip.

Trowa smiled at her. "And you've been here taking care of me and the apartment while I'm at work. Not to mention you are technically _working_ yourself. I can help out too."

A smug smile graced her face. "I think if I wasn't here, you wouldn't have as many home cooked meals as you do now."

Trowa chuckled lightly. "I'm capable of cooking my own meals. Though I don't make them as good as you do." He took a long sip of his own glass as he saw her face color in a light blush.

"That may be true. But you've been more than kind to me. You're letting me stay here instead of being at some other place." She smiled at him. A look in her eyes he hadn't seen before.

"It's really no big deal. I'd rather see you comfortable than uncomfortable somewhere else."

Serena's blush deepened as she downed the rest of her wine. Setting the glass down on the coffee table she watched as Trowa did the same. Maybe it was the wine helping but she felt more relaxed than she had been in days. She knew her body could handle the alcohol and it usually took a lot more for her to feel the effects. But she was feel _something_. Or was because of _him_.

"I have something for you." She said as she stood up.

Trowa was surprised and slightly confused by what she said. _She has something for me?_ His eyes followed her as she walked into the guest room where she had been staying. Though he wouldn't mind her staying somewhere else. Preferably in a different room. _His room_.

Shaking his head, he tried rid himself of the thought. Trowa knew it wasn't a good idea to think that way. He was attracted to her. Maybe even moreso now. But he didn't know if she felt the same way. She flirted with him but it didn't necessarily mean anything. She kept her distance and rarely did they ever have any kind of physical contact. Maybe it was just the wine that was putting thoughts in his head.

Trowa glanced up as he saw her return with a small black box cradled in her hands. She sat down a little closer to him as she extended the box out to him. He looked at the box then back up to her face. She only smiled and nodded for him to take it. Slowly he took the box from her hands letting his fingers grazes hers hand lightly as he brought the box closer to himself.

His eye grew wide as he opened it. Inside nestled between black velvet was a black watch. The same one that had gotten broken during a mission. The same _mission_ he first met her. "How did you?..." He trailed off as he stared at the watch.

Serena saw the puzzled look on his face. "I noticed that your watch was broken..." She too trailed off for a moment. He looked up at her as she started to speak again. "I was able to find another one. So I replaced it. As a thank you… for everything…"

He watched as she bite her lower lip. He couldn't believe she had gone through the trouble of replacing it. He appreciated it. Catherine had gotten him the watch two Christmases ago. "How did you get it?" Maybe it was the wine but he couldn't figure it out.

Her lips curled up as she leaned towards him. "They have this great thing called online ordering… I had it shipped to the apartment."

He was silent as he looked back at the watch then back to her face. He knew she had ordered herself some clothing and what not. She had opening told him that she was making the purchases. But what he didn't know is that she had actually spent the time to find the watch for him.

Serena frowned as she looked at him. "Are you not happy with it? If you don't…"

Trowa didn't let her finish. His hand shot up to cradle the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss.

He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do when she had gone rigid. He was about to pull away when he felt her respond back to him. Her lips pressed against his as her hands came up to tangle in his hair. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he brought her closer to him. Their bodies slowly pressing together. The watch forgotten as he felt her lips part.

The kiss was slowly growing in intensity when loud knock sounded from the door. Trowa broke away from her wondering if he had really heard anything. Half lidded midnight blue eyes stared back at him before he leaned his face back in to capture her lips once again. He saw her eyes start flutter close again when another knock came.

* * *

Serena didn't know what to do at first. She was taken off guard by the kiss. But slowly she melted into it. She parted her lips as she felt him pull her closer. He had removed her hair tie allowing her hair to fall against her back before his fingers started running through the long strands. His tongue searching her mouth as the kiss grew.

In that moment nothing else mattered to her. It was almost intoxicating the way he felt. His mouth on hers, the way his body felt pressed against hers. Even his fingers running through her hair. Something about all of it had her head spinning while her heart raced.

Then it came to an abrupt end.

Serena eyes flew open as Trowa pulled away. Muttering something under his breath as he glanced back at her before getting up. Her chest was heaving slight as her eyes grew wide.

 _What's wrong with me!?_

She shouldn't of let it happen. Shouldn't of let herself respond to him. He wasn't a mission. Even though he was attractive, and his lips, hands even his body felt good. Almost _right_ against hers. Why did she react to him? Was she changing? Was he _changing_ her? Shaking her head she tried to clear her mind as she listened to the door open.

* * *

"Heya! About time you answered!" Duo said with a huge grin on his face. Trowa glared at him. Did he really just show up at his door and interrupted…

"Hey is Serena around?" Duo asked ignoring the look Trowa was giving him.

"Why do you want to know? And why are you here Duo?" Trowa said in a low voice.

"I was on my way back to the hotel and figured I'd stop by and see how y'all were doing. Plus I wanted to talk to Serena." Duo ignored the slight anger in Trowa's voice. Instead he looked around Trowa trying to spot the girl in question.

"You gonna let me in?" Duo asked as he looked back at Trowa.

Trowa gritted his teeth. He was about to say no and send Duo on his way when Serena spoke up from behind him. "What do you want Duo?"

* * *

Duo had been talking with Serena for almost two hours. Trowa groaned inwardly as he looked at the time. He was hoping Duo's impromptu visit wasn't going to last long so he could get back to other _things._ Mainly the woman who had glanced at him several times while Duo had been distracted.

He was frustrated in more ways than one. He hadn't expected to kiss her. But in the moment it felt right. Her lips were soft and her mouth fit perfectly against his. Even her body was perfect. He groaned again as he thought about how she felt pressed against him. All he wanted was to feel her body again. To just _feel_ her.

He had been half listening to their conversations before the ringing of a phone broke through his thoughts. Duo had excused as he stood up to take the call. Swinging his eyes to Serena, he noticed she was staring at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before she averted her gaze. Her face was somber as she stared down at her hands.

He wondered what she was thinking about as he watched her hands play with the hem of her shirt. Her eyes were downcast still and he was begging with everything he had for her to look at him. To give him some idea what she was thinking.

"Well that was Hilde. She wanted to know if I'd be coming back soon." Duo said as he walked back into the living room. He eyed both Trowa and Serena. Something wasn't right but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You should probably head back then." Serena said from her spot on the couch. "Don't want to make her upset."

Duo waved a hand. "Nah she's not upset. Well sort of." He saw her brow rise in question. "She's a little upset I didn't go get her and bring her here. She wants to meet you."

Serena frowned. "Why didn't you?"

"I had to stay late at the office. You're like Yuy with your damn reports. It took me forever to get through the last one you sent."

"Six pages on my analysis of the members that I found within the agency isn't that long. I could of made it longer." Her face deadpanned.

"Yeah well six pages too many. Next time keep it short and simple sweetheart! You're almost done too right?" He watched as she nodded her head. "Damn I don't know how you've managed to go through that many files in a little over a week."

Serena brought her hand up to her face. It wasn't like it was that hard. It took time but she didn't have anything else going on to distract her that much. For the most part at least.

"Well I better get going. It was nice talking with you Rena! Trowa I'll see you tomorrow!?" Duo wave a quick goodbye to Trowa before turning on his heel.

Serena walked Duo to the door. After saying their goodbyes, Trowa watched as she closed the door before pressing her head against the wood. He heard her mutter something in Japanese as she locked the door. She pushed herself away from the door only to stand stock still after she turned around. Their eyes locked before she slowly moved to the edge of the couch.

"It's late..." she started. Serena looked away. Unsure of what to say.

Trowa knew whatever mood they had been in before was gone. There was no point in trying to spark the flame again. He could tell she was uneasy. Maybe he had pushed her too far. "We should get some sleep."

Serena snapped her head back to look at him. It was easy to see she was struggling with herself. "Yeah."

Nodding his head he said the only thing left to say. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight..."

Trowa moved past her towards the kitchen. Flicking the light switch off. He turned to look at her before heading to his room. Serena bit the inside of her cheek when his door closed.

 _What am I going to do now?_

She sighed before turning off the light in the living room. Once in her room she pressed her back against the door. Closing her eyes she tried to think of something. Anything other than _him._ Trowa had consumed her thoughts even while Duo had been there. She was able to pay attention to him and respond with appropriate answers or questions. But her mind was elsewhere.

Her heart started to race again as she thought about the kiss they shared. She had never felt the way she did when he was kissing her. It was as if time had stopped and it was only the two of them. She had felt something in her chest but she couldn't put a word to it. A feeling she had never felt before.

Her body had responded in a way that almost frightened her. But it also excited her. She wanted to know what this feeling was. To understand it. It felt so foreign to her. She could still remember the feel of his lips. The way his hands felt. She knew it wasn't a smart idea to let it happen again. She needed to clear her head.

Pushing the thoughts aside she opened her eyes as she moved away from the door. Grabbing _her_ laptop from under some clothing in one of the dresser drawers. Serena sat on the bed as she opened the screen. She frowned when she saw that there was a new message waiting for her. Opening it she read through it.

Burying her face in her hands when she finished. _How am I supposed to do that? How can I do that!?_

New orders. Forever changing like the tides themselves. She wondered if she would ever truly get away from this. From them. Her fingers hesitated over the keys before she typed her reply. Hitting the send button she sat back on the bed, taking a deep breath.

 _What have I done?_

Everything was about to change. There was no turning back now.

* * *

 _Happy Hump Day! Hahaha! Though this chapter doesn't contain anything of the mature content, that I know some of you are hoping to see more of. No need to worry, I'm sure there will be_ lots _more coming your way! But I wanted to surprise some of you with a mid-week update! Friday's chapter is set to go and will be upload in the morning (my time) as normally scheduled._

 _I know we're on a bit of a Serena and Trowa kick here but no need to fret! Our favorite 1xR couple won't be away for long! Any ideas on what Serena might do now that she got some new orders? I know I asked if anyone knew who she was talking to, the answer come up later in the story and I promise all will make sense! What about Trowa? I think he might try and make a move again. Though lets hope Duo doesn't come around again for another visit. Hahaha. Have a great Wednesday everyone!_

-MM


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **A New Perspective**

"Aright, thanks Duo." Heero hung up his phone as he glanced to see Relena sitting up in bed. Staring at him with a disapproving look.

"You sent Duo to check on her?"

"I sent him to check on _them._ " Heero corrected. He saw the frown on her face. "I just wanted to make sure nothing is going on between them."

"Heero if _something_ was going on between them, it's really none of your business."

"I don't want them getting involved." He said sternly. "It would only complicate matters more than they already are."

Relena sighed. "That I can understand. But they're adults and they're allowed to do whatever they please. But I don't think any kind of relationship in that context is going on between them."

"How are you so sure?" Heero arched a brow at her.

"From my understanding of what Serena has told me, they're not in any kind of relationship. He's nice to her and treats her like a person and not some ignorant incompetent." Relena pressed her lips together hoping her point was getting across to him. She knew that they weren't always seeing eye to eye. "Heero they're friendly to each other and that's it. She's been working hard and the last two days. Our conversations haven't been that long. If anything she's stressed about trying to get through all those personnel files."

Heero knew this. Serena had called him earlier in the day to discuss her latest report. So far she had found twenty people. That was too big of number even for him. She was concerned that if there were more, how would they be able to arrest all of them? She sounded sincere over the fact she didn't know ROE's reach had extended this far. And that there was still a possibility that there were people she had missed.

It seemed that this Edwards guy, or whoever was in charge, had sent multiple members of the organization to infiltrate Preventers. It wasn't just one location either. All five Colonies had someone along with all their headquarters on Earth. While what she was saying didn't sit well with him. He had tried to reassure her that they'd do whatever it'd take to bring them down. But she was still worried. Which made him worry. For once they were both on the same page.

"Maybe you're right." He said softly. Looking into her light blue eyes as she smiled at him.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Focus on what needs to happen now. And be happy nothing has happened so far."

Relena was referring to Watson's attempt on her life. Since then no one had tried anything. There were no hints that something else was going to happen. But that never stopped Heero from worrying about her safety.

The media had gotten wide of a vague story about what had happened that day. They were able to make the public believe that the fire alarms had gone off and people did what anyone would do in a situation like that, they run. The President had agreed to keep the whole thing under wraps but he wanted to be informed of new finds right away.

Which meant that they had a meeting next week with him. But this time he had pretty much told Une, in the nicest demanding way possible, that Serena needed to be there. Heero knew that Klein had yet to meet Serena. But if he was to be completely honest, he wasn't happy about the prospect of her being there. She hadn't come to any other meeting and in fact she hadn't been back to HQ since she left. But once again Une had agreed to let Serena come for the meeting.

That unsettled him more.

Heero didn't know why Une had agreed, especially if they were supposed to be keeping her under lock and key. No one, outside of who already knew her, wasn't allowed to know. It was a need-to-know basis and as Heero could felt too many people already knew about her. So why bring her in for a meeting? She could easily video call in from Trowa's apartment, but Une had informed him that Serena needed to be there in person. Which only left him with more questions. Why was it so important to have her there? What was this meeting actually going to be about?

As he climbed into bed he glanced at Relena who was settling herself back onto her pillow. Maybe he could find out before the meeting took place. And he knew who he could ask to find out for him.

* * *

It had been a few days since they had kissed. Trowa had tried giving Serena space. Especially after the following morning, when things had been slightly awkward between them. He didn't sleep and from the looks of it, neither had she. They had gone about their normal routine but he wondered if she had spent the night thinking about what had happened. Like he had.

Trowa decided that giving her some space might help, and maybe even help him to figure out what to do. But he was struggling to do so. He tried to keep things as casual as possible between them, but it seemed that Serena had opted to keep things as they were before. She even went as far as to flirt more with him since that night.

Trowa had to admit that he enjoyed it. Maybe a little too much. To put it simply, he _wanted_ her. But there was still a fine line he wasn't sure he should cross. He was starting to question everything more. He had stolen a kiss from her and it seemed she had enjoyed it as much as he did till Duo had shown up. Then she had quickly shut herself off to him, for at least a day. But with her recent flirting, he was starting to wonder if she was looking for more. Which brought up more questions. Did she really want more? If he tried, would he be overstepping her boundaries without fulling knowing exactly what she wanted? Was it even worth the risk? Flirting was one thing. But sex was whole other story. But maybe, just maybe he could get an idea if this was something she wanted.

Trowa stood from his bed. His lips curled up slight as he headed for the bedroom door. _There's no reward without a risk._

* * *

Serena was standing next to the counter pouring a cup of coffee when she caught sight of Trowa out of the corner of her eye. He had walked out of his room and was heading into the kitchen. _Shirtless_.

She tried to keep her attention on pouring her coffee without spilling any. She felt him behind her as he came to stand next to her. She glanced at his arm and torso as he reached into the cabinet grabbing a cup. Pushing the coffee pot towards him, she brought her own cup to her lips. Taking a sip she glanced down at the rest of his body. She noticed his pajama pants and how low they were sitting around his waist. Serena knew she should turn away but she kept letting her eyes roam over his body. She had never seen him without a shirt before and she found herself intrigued by the taunt muscles he kept hidden underneath his clothing.

Trowa caught her looking at him when he glanced over. She had angled her body to face him better. Smirking to himself he poured his java before slowly bring the mug up to his lips. "You're staring." He said before taking a sip. He watched out of the corner of his eye as her head snapped up.

"What?"

Letting his smirk show he turned to face her. "Like what you see?" He saw her eyes go wide.

"Ye.. uh.. I mean." He chuckled as she stumbled over her words. The blush growing on her cheeks. Setting his cup down he took a step closer to her.

"Does this make you uncomfortable? I can always put on a shirt."

"No… don't." Her voice was just a whisper before her eyes grew wide again as she realized what she had said. "I mean it's your place. You can do whatever you want." She saw his eyes sparkle as his brow lifted.

"Oh. So could I just walk around naked then?" He had taken another step closer to her causing her back to press against the counter. Leaning closer he heard her gasps as he took ahold of her hand, moving it towards his body.

Her eyes were locked onto his as the corners of his mouth curled up. Lowering his head, "I'm going to take a shower, if you'd like to join me..." He whispered in her ear before pulling away. Grabbing his cup of java he walked past her to his room. Leaving the door open slightly open.

Serena stood still against the counter. She knew her eyes were still wide as she stared at the spot Trowa had been standing in. She had been more aggressive with her flirting, which made her wondered if he had only done and said what he had because of that. But then there was the small part of her that had enjoyed it. Trowa flirted, but never to the extent he had just now. If she were to be honest, she wouldn't mind seeing him half naked again. Or more...

Slowly her lips curled up into a smirk of her own. She knew what she needed to do.

* * *

In the shower Trowa knew half of him meant what he had said to Serena. The other half knew that nothing was going to come of it. Even if he wanted her to just walk in. He knew he had shocked her by his bold move. It was clearly written on her face. He was half tempted to kiss her again, but he didn't want to chance it. As he finished soaping himself up, he wonder what they would've done if she _had_ taken him up on his offer. He imaged it would've taken longer to shower, though he wouldn't have minded all that much. Quickly, he tried to dispel the thoughts. He knew he needed to get ready and head off to work.

Stepping out of the shower he grabbed a towel half drying himself before wrapping it around his waist. Grabbing a smaller one he threw it over his head. As he started to dry his hair he walked back into his bedroom only to stop a few feet in.

 _He wasn't alone._

Glancing around he caught sight of a foot. Slowly moving his eyes up he saw a calf. Then a knee before he saw the matching leg bent pressing against a thigh. Then he moved his eyes higher. A bare hip flowing into a stomach before he saw the person's arms crossed over a bare chest. Then he finally made it up to the face. _Her face._

"I'm guessing I missed my invitation to join you." She purred.

Her smirk widened as she took in the sight of him. He had dropped the towel he was holding. Half of his bangs plastered to his face with wide eyes staring at her. Dropping her arms, she pushed away from the wall. She heard him take in a sharp breath as her hand skimmed his stomach before linking her fingers in the towel. "You should get dressed. Don't want to be late for work, Barton."

It took every ounce of control he had not to look down at her body when she moved away from the wall. It took even more control when she ripped the towel off his body. Grazing her fingers against him. Her eyes had stayed on his as she wrapped the towel around herself before leaving the room. He was pretty sure he had completely stopped breathing. Her hand had been... _Holy shit._ He thought as he breathed for the first time.

* * *

It was early afternoon and Serena had been steadily working on her second assignment. She had taken a break from going through the personnel files manually. Instead allowing a program she had created to help her search. She had found a pattern within the people she had already found. She knew she would probably miss some, but she hoped maybe they'd get scared enough to just leave the agency all together after the other confirmed ones were arrested.

The program was currently looking at when someone was hired, what their work statues was pior and if they had fought in the war. While most of the people had changed their names, -slightly- Serena was able to see that most were honest with their background and when they were hired. Four years ago and on was her target goal. The twenty she had found so far had all been hired within that four year time frame, which made sense. Most recently more had come in over the past two years. The two years ROE had spent really putting their plan into action.

It all made sense. Her training had changed and along with that her missions had change. She spent less and less time at what was once called their Headquarters. They had moved her to a resource satellite along with J and a few engineers to finish the completion of the cockpit. That's when she was left in the dark about any further plans. Any time she'd tried and gather information she was pushed aside and reminded of her place. A shudder ran through her body as she remembered one occasion that had occurred. She hated the fact she remembered some things. But she also knew that remembering these details, regardless of how brutal they might be, meant that she still held onto some critical information. It was one of the few things she was able to hold onto.

As she was working away on her laptop her phone buzzed next to her. Checking the time to make sure she wasn't late for a check in. She realized it was only two-thiry. Looking down at her phone she saw a new message from Trowa. Opening the message she read through it before setting the phone back down. She had completely forgotten what had happened that morning. Once he left for work, she had dived right into her work. Trying to push away any thoughts she had. Trowa had been bold, and she couldn't deny that it was a turn on for her. She had never met anyone who, to simply put it, might match her sex drive. It wasn't that she didn't think about the possibility with him. Especially now that she had gotten a good look at his body. At least the top half of him. She had let her fingers skim below his waist. Enough to graze his thigh, but she didn't dare go further. Tempting as it was, she knew she was pushing it with him. She had a feeling her actions were only teasing him further, but that's exactly want she wanted. She wanted him to _want_ her. The only question that remained was if she would allow him to go as far as she suspected he wanted to go.

Serena's phone buzzed again as a second message came through. It seemed Trowa's mind was still stuck on what had happened. Her lips curled up as she finally sent him a message. Maybe it was curl, but if she had learned anything in the short amount of time she had been alive. The world they lived in was curl.

* * *

Heero finally stepped out of her office for the first time since they had arrived that morning. Relena had been going crazy wanting to make a phone call all morning. But unfortunately making that call when Heero was around was impossible. Relena had begged him to get her a coffee from the cafe next door. He had asked why she couldn't just get one from the cafeteria, but she had been quick to remind him of how much she loved the cafe mocha they made. After a few minutes of going back and forth she finally got him to agree to leave.

Once Heero had left, locking the door behind him, she quickly picked up her phone. Locating the number she pressed the phone to ear waiting.

" _Hello?"_

Relena smiled to herself. "Hello Serena. How are you?"

" _I'm fine. Is everything okay? Do you need something?"_

Relena laughed lightly, "everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something." Every time they spoke, Serena would always ask if everything was fine or if she needed something. So much like Heero. Which is why she called her.

" _Alright. Shoot."_

"Well.." Relena trailed off for a moment. "Heero and I were talking one night… and… well marriage and children came up." Relena paused thinking over her words. "He said maybe down the line, but not now." Serena had become her confidant in some ways. Whenever they spoke, they talked about anything and everything.

" _Okay… and you're questioning this why?"_ Relena could tell that she was confused by the topic. Taking a chance…

"Serena have you ever been in love?" Relena waited as there was a long pause on the other end.

" _No."_

"Oh. That's so sad… I'm sorry. I just thought maybe because you know Heero so well, maybe you could help me figure this out."

" _It's alright… I'm probably not the best person for this conversation. But what I can tell you is, I don't recommend you asking Duo for advice."_

Relena laughed at the "advice" Serena gave her. "Maybe, but he's not that bad. I'm guessing he's tried to give you some of his own advice?"

" _Yup. Sure has."_ Relena laughed more. She could hear a chuckle come from Serena. " _But if you want my advice… Heero is…"_ Relena could hear her sigh. " _I don't know what love is. I don't know how it's supposed to_ 'feel.' _But Heero has always felt something for you. A feeling he can't explain. Something that pulls him to you. The need or want to be with you. Maybe he knows what that feeling is now."_ Serena paused, taking in a deep breath before she went on. " _Zero had once shown him the outcomes of his future. What sort of life may be beyond the battlefield. Both good and bad."_ Relena held her breath while she listened _. "I believe he chose the right path. The one with a future worth fighting for. One worth living for. He chose the path that showed you in his life. The one that lead to what could possible be described as_ "happiness". _If Heero said down the line, then I would believe him. He may or may not express himself fully but that's just who he is. It doesn't mean he doesn't think about these things or wishes for things. He's human. And I know… deep down this is the life he wants. A life with you."_

Relena thought she would cry any moment. Serena's words were spoken so softly and passionately. "How do you know all this?"

" _First. Please don't ever tell him I told you this. Second. I've spent more time trying to understand the person I was made from than I care to truly admit. Heero can be… rough around the edges. But I also know that you know him better than I do. Relena… I wouldn't worry. I wouldn't pressure him either. He's living a life he never thought he would have. If you pressure him it might only drive him away. Anyone in this position could become afraid. Especially if it's something new to them. Just give him time. And besides, you're only twenty-three. There's no need to rush. You have all the time in the universe."_

Relena smiled as she thanked Serena for the help. After hanging up she sat back in her chair, replaying the conversation over in her mind. " _You have all the time in the universe."_ Maybe she was right. They were young still. Even if they had lived for almost a lifetime. There was still time.

Relena smiled brightly as Heero walked back into her office. He offered her a small smile in return before walking over to her with her mocha. She thanked him and was surprised when he leaned down, brushing a soft kiss to her lips before moving to sit down in front of his laptop again. She watched him for a few moments as he returned to his work before she turned back to her own work. Serena's words still lingering in her mind. She had shared something special with her. A true glimpse into who Heero Yuy really was. And for that, Relena was grateful. Grateful for the opportunity and grateful for the bond she now truly shared with her.

* * *

Trowa couldn't stand it any longer. Leaving work early he headed home. Serena had plagued his thoughts all day. He had tried to work, more often than not, he had replayed what had happened that morning over and over. Trying to come to some conclusion of what it all meant. He even went as far as to try and ask her but she had just brushed it off.

Serena was like a puzzle. Any time you'd think you've figured it out, you'd find a piece that didn't fit. Trowa thought he was starting to understand her more, and possibly her intentions. But the past few days had been different. Since the kiss things had intensified and it was to the point that he couldn't lie to himself anymore, regardless of if it was right or wrong, he wanted her. And he wanted her bad.

It wasn't just the sexual tension she was building between them that drove him mad. It was also her personality. The way she moved, the way she talked. Everything about her was fascinating to him. He had never met anyone like her. Maybe other than Heero, but that was probably due to their training. Their personalities on some level were the same. They were both calculated in everything they did. They always thought of every outcome before jumping into something. Maybe that was it though. Maybe Serena had already figured everything out and was just waiting to see if her results were accurate.

Or maybe he had it all completely wrong. But he was going to find out. One way or another.

Pulling into his parking space, he got out of car making his way into the building wondering how he was going to go about bring the topic up to her. Maybe going straight to the point would work. Or maybe he should just take some advice that was once given to him -ironically the same person who warned him not to get involved with her- to act on his emotions. Either it would work out in his favor, or it would go terribly wrong.

Once on his floor, he made his way to his apartment. As he was pulling out his key to unlock the door he stopped. Looking up at the door he could faintly hear something coming from the other side. Inserting his key he unlocked the door before carefully opened it. Music could be heard coming from inside the apartment. He slowly stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. He followed the sound of where the music was coming from, till his eyes landed on a speaker that was set up on the island. Then he noticed something he hadn't before. A voice could be heard over the music that wasn't being projected from the speaker itself. His eyes wandered as he stepped more into the apartment. He saw Serena standing in the kitchen. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. She had on a dark grey shirt and a pair of black jeans. She was swinging her hips side to side as she to dance along to the song. But her voice...

Her voice was something in itself. Captivating him. It was simply beautiful.

Trowa watched on with a smile on his face. He had never seen her dance nor had he ever heard her sing. If he was to be honest he wouldn't mind having her do it more often. Preferably when he was around. Her voice was intoxicating to him. His smile turned into a smirk as he watched her hips move more to the song.

As the song wound down, Serena moved to one of the cabinets, removing two plates, turning to place them down on the island. Her eyes caught a pair of legs leaning against the wall and when she looked up following the body, her eyes landed on Trowa's face. He had a smirk on his lips and his eyes held a gleam to them. Gasping, her eyes went wide as her face reddened. She realized he had been watching her for some time.

Trowa pushed himself off the wall, walking towards her. "So this is what you do when I'm not here?." A glint still visible in his eyes.

"Um...I….uh…" Serena stumbled over her words. Her brain working overtime trying to find something to say.

Trowa reached over to where the speaker sat, turning it off. "I didn't know you could sing." He said turning to face her, her face still red. He smiled as he took a small step towards her. "Why don't you sing more often?"

Serena stared wide eyed at him. Had she lost track of time? Not realizing that he'd be coming back to the apartment. Her eyes darted to a clock that was hanging on the wall. _He's home early?_ Her eyes returned to his face, the smile still on his face. "I….." she tried again to speak but nothing was coming out.

Trowa reached a hand up to touch her cheek. "You have a beautiful voice." He said softly before leaning his body towards her. Dipping his head slightly, "you should sing more often." He whispered as he brushed his lips against hers.

She stiffened the second his lips touched hers. They hadn't kissed since she gave him the watch. He brushed his lips against her's again and slowly she closed her eyes, taking in the sensation of him.

Trowa felt her relax after his second attempt to get a response from her. Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled her closer, while reaching the hand that was on her cheek to the back of neck. Tilting her head slightly so he could deepen the kiss. The kiss was slow and sensual. He felt her arms come up to wrap around his neck as she leaned into him more. Taking a chance, he lowered his other arm to join her waist before lifting her up. Her legs wrapping themselves around nim as he carried her to the counter before setting her down. She kept her legs locked around him as his hands started to roam. Lifting up her shirt, he slipped his hand underneath the material, feeling the soft skin. Her hands finding their way to the back of his head, as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Their kissing was cut short when one of their phones started to ring. Breaking away Trowa cursed loudly before turning his eyes back to Serena. A look on her face he wasn't sure he understood. Her eyes were hardened but her lips were still parted. Her chest rising and falling as she tried to regain her normal breathing. She tore her gaze away from him as she looked over to her phone.

"Heero's calling me… I should answer." Trowa said nothing as he stepped away. She had unlaced her legs from him. He watched as she hopped off the counter before moving to answer the phone. He couldn't figure out why he bothered trying to listen. Serena was speaking in Japanese to Heero. But it wasn't something that should surprise him. They tended to keep their conversations private for whatever reason. His curiosity peaked when Serena turned to look at him. She said something into the phone before turning away to check the stove. It wasn't long after that she hung up the phone.

"What did Heero want?" Trowa asked the second she hung up her phone.

Serena turned to face him, her brow quirked slightly. "He wanted to know if you were alright. He said you left work early."

 _I left early because of you._ "What did you tell him?" Trowa crossed his arms over his chest. He had a feeling Serena was going to shut herself off to him again.

"That you were fine." She frown at him. "I told him that I had asked you to go to the store for me before you got home. Remind me to have that verified on both of our phones. Just incase Heero goes looking."

Trowa wanted to question her about how she planned on faking messages. But Serena spun away from him. "You should go change and relax for a little. Dinner won't be ready for another half hour…" Shoving his hands in his pockets, Trowa made his way to his room. Shutting the door completely behind him.

He stood just beyond the door staring at his bed. Once again Serena had him rethinking everything. He needed to know, without a shred of doubt that this was something Serena truly wanted. He wasn't going to push her, force her into something she was unsure about. This wasn't just some one night stand. This was something that could, _would,_ change them. Now he just needed to figure out how to do it.

* * *

They had spent most of their dinner in silence. Trowa had been watching Serena out of the corner of his eye. She looked lost in thought as she pushed her food around her plate. He wondered what she was thinking about.

Trowa had taken the time before dinner to think about things. He had wanted to confront her and talk about things but after listening to her sing he just simply acted. She was driving him crazy. But the more he thought about things the more he came to have a new perspective of her and how maybe their relationship should be. Serena wasn't some ordinary girl. And while it would've been easy to just to sleep with her right then and there. He knew deep down that wasn't all he wanted. He wanted to have a relationship with her, not just physical, but emotional as well. Serena wasn't the type of girl you could just have a one night stand with. Not after all he had learned about her. She was someone worth pursuing. A girl, who may just be everything he could want. Having made the decision he had one question to ask her.

"Would you like to go out tomorrow night?"

Serena snapped her head up turning to look at him. "Huh?" She was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't heard the question.

"Would you like to go out tomorrow night? Maybe for dinner?" He repeated. She had a puzzled look on her face.

"For dinner?" Serena echoed.

"Yes."

"You want to take me out… for dinner… after everything that has happened?" Trowa could easily see the confusion in her eyes. He had learned when she wanted to, she'd let you see what she was thinking.

"If we're going to do this, I'd like to do it right. If that's okay with you?" He saw her face flush a light shade of red.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'd like to give it a try." He saw her blush deepen more.

"Where would we go?" She asked him quietly.

Trowa let a small grin form on his lip. "There's a nice restaurant not too far from here."

"What will the attire be?"

"Wear something nice." He watched as her blush deepened. She nodded her head but said nothing else as she turned back to her plate. The small smile on her face not going unnoticed by him.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Friday! I know this chapter is a little all over the place, but I promise there's a reason for that! You'll find out soon, ;)._

 _To be honest, I don't even know where to start with my message. I'm sure most of you are probably reeling over what I've dubbed the shower scene. I really enjoyed the idea and I love how it came out. Not only did Trowa set up his game, but Serena matched him and possibly out did him? Though what would you have done if you were in Trowa's shoes? I'm pretty sure I would've had the same reaction he had. Hahaha._

 _Heero, man... don't worry... worry about other things. Like Relena. I know some people are looking for another smexy scene. Well I'd like to hint that next week we'll have another double chapter post. Hehe. You'll just have to wait a few more days and see if you're wishes have come true. Should I add some winks here? Or do you guys get the point._

 _I'd like to also say that Relena's scene with the phone conversation with Serena was inspired by Relena for President. We had a little chat one day and then the idea popped into my head. So thank you so much for the inspo! I loved the touching moment between them and how we got to see a slightly different side to Serena. I think they're going to become good friends._

 _Have a great weekend everyone! Please share your thoughts and if you like this double chapter post during the week! If you do, I can try and make sure to upload twice a week as long as my schedule allows me to._

 _-MM_


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N Happy Hump Day! I hope you all have been doing good and if you were one of the lucky ones and had a lovely four day weekend, I hope you enjoyed it! Here's to making that first day back to work a little better. ;) I won't ramble on so enjoy! As always, thank you for the continued support! And I promise there's more of_ this _to come! ;)_

 _-MM_

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

 **Date Night**

Serena had been counterproductive for an hour now. She was trying, but her mind kept taking her to other places other than the work she needed to do. Sitting on the floor, crossed legged, she had not one but three laptops set up on the coffee table.

Each supposedly doing their own task.

Heero's laptop was running the program she had made. At this point she didn't care if he found out. Though he hadn't, as far as she knew, been checking to see what she was doing. She needed the remaining files to be finished. Thanks to the help of the software program, she was able to get them done faster. All that remained was to send in her last report and hopefully arrests could start being made.

On her own laptop, she had been trying to hack into J's old lab. But her efforts were futile. She wasn't finding anything. Serena wondered if it was even worth it. Trying to retrieve old data that wasn't necessarily useful. But none the less she wanted to see for herself. Maybe there was something J had left behind that might help. Some note, some small hint of what ROE had been doing the two years she wasn't around the leaders. She hadn't found anything. Nothing. In fact it seemed like J had deleted anything and everything. Serena had finally given up after two hours. Whatever was once there was now gone.

Trowa's laptop had been her main focus since. For at least the last hour. Part of her felt guilty for using the laptop behind his back. But she knew she couldn't do the work she was currently doing on Heero's. Serena had told Une what she was doing. How she was using Trowa's for her second assignment. Une had offered to send Trowa home with a second laptop for her to work on, but Serena quickly pointed out that it might arouse suspicion if he were to do so. Trowa didn't know what she was doing. It was still only between Une and herself.

While Trowa was an excellent hacker, Serena knew how to keep her work hidden. So far, he had yet to find the folder containing the information yet. She always replaced his laptop back to wherever she had found it and made sure the battery was at the same percentage as it was when he last used it. She never looked through the laptop. All his files and folders were left unopened. It was none of her business what he did or what he kept on the machine. She may have been going behind his back, but she also knew the value in keeping one's privacy, private. She knew she didn't want Trowa learning some things about herself, especially things about her past. It was safer that way. So in return, she stay out of his personal files.

Serena was staring at the screen looking over her design work. It hadn't occurred to her till a little while ago that she was staring at something that wasn't related to her assignment. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she had gone and did a redesign for Heavyarms. It wasn't just the suit Trowa had in A.C. 196, but an upgraded version.

Serena had taken all the knowledge she had and what she knew he liked and didn't like about the suit itself and created a new version. One that she thought would better fit his wants and needs. She kept the machine cannons that were located on the collarbone of the suit. It was actually a feature she preferred on her own suit. Though her's were hidden.

The vulcan guns, while unable to do any real damage to a mobile suit, still provided enough damage to take out smaller moving targets such a missiles and small vehicles. The homing missiles, while they added more weight to the suit, were ideal for Heavyarms. The last upgrade, before her design, was done to allow for a total of forty-forty to be stored in the shoulders, the front skirts and the missile pods located on the legs. Along with the fifty-two micro missiles that were stored in the shoulders and side shirts as well. All of which Serena kept.

One of the changes she made was the double barrel beam gatling guns. She knew during the war, Heavyarms only had one which was mounted to the left arm. While she liked the concept, she knew the upgraded dual handheld ones worked better and the results were desirable. But she had changed them to be mounted with a quick release feature for when ammunition was depleted.

Serena wanted to make it easier on the pilot to control without losing the effect the dual barrel beam guns had. Having them mounted would mean the pilot could focus more on targets rather than controlling the steady hold one needed on the controls. Serena didn't doubt Trowa's abilities, considering he preferred the left arm to be heavier than the right. But she had noticed that with the redesign the first time, both arms needed to be equal. Though she had a feeling that Trowa still kept the left arm slightly heavier. Along with the guns being mounted, Serena knew she would have to rework the programing to allow for Heavyarms to function the way she wanted it to. Tweaking a few things could allow for Trowa, if he ever needed to, to pilot the suit in such a way that it would allow him to come out as the victor. Which is why she knew she needed to add one last thing.

A melee weapon. Serena knew the army knife that was once mounted under the right arm, was really ineffective. It's lack of sufficient reach would only allow an enemy to get too close and potential win in a hand to hand combat situation. Because of this, Serena had taken a chance and added not one but two beam sabers located in both arms. This way, worse case scenario, Trowa could still continued to fight even when Heavyarms main weapons were no longer an option. She also had a rule… always have a hidden backup weapon.

The more she looked through the redesign the more she wondered if she had gone overboard. She probably had with hers, but she knew every little detail she had made and done was to maximise the effecticany of the suit. With Trowa's suit she knew if he was ever going to fight again, she wanted him to come out on top. For him to survive any kind of battle.

As she sat thinking if she should change anything, a new message appeared on her laptop. The smile that was once on her face faded as she read through the new message. Serena looked between the three laptops. Heero's still running the program, her's with the open message and Trowa's with the redesign of Heavyarms. She focused on Trowa's laptop again. Last night had changed things. He had asked her out on a date. Something that had never happened to her before. Normally she was just told where she needed to go and whom to go out with. To be arm candy for a night, or two. She was starting to question her actions. Something she found her mind wandering to. She knew how to use her body and use it to complete a mission. But this was different. Something had changed. Something had changed her.

Yesterday had been a rollercoaster for her. From the morning all the way into the night. Relena's phone call had struck a chord in her and she still hadn't figured out why. She had been open and honest with her. Even though Relena was asking about Heero. She still had told her that she didn't know what love was. As far as she knew, no one had ever loved her. Thinking back on it she wondered what those feelings felt like. It was hard to understand when she had never felt them before. All she understood was Heero's version of what it may be like. Then last night Trowa had surprised her with the offer to go out to dinner. She thought after everything, mainly all the flirting she had been doing that he'd just want to get straight to the point and that the two of them would end up in bed together. The more she thought about it the more she actually wanted to step back a little and let things happen naturally. Or what she assumed was naturel. She liked him, in more ways than one, but she also liked the idea of having something real for once in her life. Something that wasn't order, something that she decided with her own free will.

Turning her eyes back to the message, she made a decision. Her own decision. From now on she was no longer going to accept orders. From now on she was going to do things her way. Do the things _she_ wanted to do. Deleting the message, she shut down her laptop. There would be no response from her this time. No confirmation that she was accepting the new mission details.

Serena smiled to herself as she sat back, leaning on her hands. Looking back at Trowa's laptop she wondered if he'd like what she had created. For a fleeting moment she thought about sharing the design with him but quickly banished the thought away. Not knowing how he would react to learning this information, even though next week he'd find out what else she had been up to. She figured she had time to think it over. Maybe she should tell him before the meeting...

Her phone buzzed next to her. Picking up the phone she smiled again as she read through the message. " _I'll be home a little later than usual. Dinner at six-thirty?"_ Trowa kept the message encrypted enough. Serena had let him in a little more last night when she had to work on the fact she needed to cover their tracks from the previous afternoon. Trowa at first wasn't happy but slowly as they discussed it, he warmed up to the fact that she was right. They needed it to look like she had sent him a message asking him to go to the store for a few random items. They both agreed that it was the best thing to do. Just in case someone went looking. Mainly Heero.

Serena sent him a quick message back before double checking the time. She had enough time to finish a few things before jumping in the shower. She had skipped one that morning in favor of waiting till later to take one. She just hoped she could keep her thoughts in check long enough to get ready. She knew she had a lot to think about and more so, she knew she needed to figure out some feelings she wasn't sure about.

* * *

Trowa had been fiddling with the small box in his hand as he paced around. Serena had said she'd be ready in just a few minutes. Three minutes had passed since then and though it wasn't normal for him, he was nervous. He had dressed in a pair of black dress pants with a hunter green dress shirt. It had been a whIle since he had been on a date. Usually if he was looking for the date to end well he'd do the small gestures one would expect. Flowers were normally his go to and always seemed to work well for him. Unless it was a one night stand. Then he'd just skip the flowers all together. But this time he went a different route altogether. Which was why he had booked their reservation for later that night. It gave him enough time to stop and pick up the small item before heading home.

Trowa heard a door open as he slowed his pacing to stand in the living room. He glanced at the hallway that lead to the guest room and bath. Slowly Serena came into view. Her head was lowered as she pushed a soft curl behind her ear. His breath caught as he took in the full sight of her.

The white dress laden with flowers hugged her body in all the right places. The skirt peddled out at her waist giving her an hourglass shape. The neckline of the dress revealed a small amount of cleavage without it being overly done. She had on a pair of black high heels that add three more inches to her height. As his eyes traveled back up to her face she had finally lifted her head to look at him. Her hair was curled loosely, framing her face. She was wearing makeup and while he had never seen her with makeup on, it wasn't over done. Enough for an evening look. Her long lashes fluttered as she blinked, but what got him the most was the red lipstick, making her lips look even fuller than they normally did.

Her hands twisted as she held onto the small clutch she was carrying. Her gaze had dropped from his and he realized that she was just as nervous as he was. He was about to take a step closer to her when she spoke. "Do I look alright?" Her gaze coming back up to meet his.

There were so many words he could used to describe how she looked. Stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous. But Trowa choose to go with one he knew she truly was. "Beautiful." He breathed. "But there's one thing missing." Serena stared at him as he came to stand in front of her.

"What do you mean?" She tightened her eyes slightly trying to read his face.

When he got close enough to her, he could smell the light perfume she was wear. It was sweet with a hint of floral. He decided then that it would be the scent he'd remember her by. It was driving his senescence crazy as he took in another breath. Filling his lungs with the scent of her. Slowly he lifted the box he had in his hand. "This." He said as he opened it.

Serena stared at the box. Sitting inside was a small silver tear shaped pendant on a matching silver chain. She opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She didn't know what to say. Trying again she could only manage his name. "Trowa… I…" She shook her head.

Trowa's lip curled up slightly at the corners. "You don't have to say anything. Let me put it on you." She watched as he removed the necklace from the box before stepping around her. His fingers grazed her skin as he moved her hair out of the way before draping the pendant around her neck. Coming back around he stood closer to her, causing her to still look up into his eyes. A soft smile playing on his lips.

"You are truly and simply beautiful." He said as lowered his head. Brushing a soft kiss against her lips. When he pulled away her eyes were still closed. When she finally opened her eyes he took another moment to admire her beauty. Even without makeup she was beautiful but he couldn't help but admire how the makeup enhanced her natural features more. She really was beautiful in his eyes. "We should get going." He said softly while pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

* * *

Trowa wasn't sure at first if his subtle hints at dinner were working or not. He had enjoyed the evening with her even if he couldn't read her clearly. They had chatted lightly while they ate and Serena had even allowed him to lightly graze his fingers over her. But she wasn't giving any hints as to how she might want the date to end.

He had started with her hand before moving to her arm as they sat close together. From there he took a chance and grazed the skin of her thigh. Her skin was intoxicatingly soft and he couldn't help the fact that he wanted to feel more. Serena seemed to responding to his light touches. She had leaned herself closer to him when he let his hand rest on her leg. Her blue eyes shining with a look he had never really seen before. And those red lips of hers. He wanted to kiss then as they sat only inches away from each other.

It wasn't until they were back in his SUV that the lines between what they were before and where they were going crossed. Trowa had just gotten back into the driver's seat when he turned his head to look at her. Serena was facing him with her back turned to the door. But the look in her eyes was different than it was at dinner. Her eyes shone with something he had only ever seen once. _The first time they had kissed._ Her eyes were turning a darker shade of blue and in that second he saw it. Some kind of emotion flashed through them right before she threw herself at him. Cushing her lips to his.

Trowa wrapped his arms around her as her hands came up to tangle in his hair. Her kiss was urgent. As if she had been waiting all night for it. She broke away from him bring her face just inches away from his. He could still taste her mouth on his as he stared into her deep blue eyes. They were glazed over and Trowa could see the smirk forming on those perfect red lips of hers. "Get us back. _Fast._ " Came the softly spoken words before he felt her mouth on his again.

* * *

Trowa couldn't remember how he got them back to the apartment so quickly. Serena had told him " _fast"._ But as they made their through the door, it didn't seem quick enough. She was already back on him. Their mouths locked together again as she started sliding his jacket off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. Serena pulled up on his shirt, untucking it from his pants as her hands flew up to start unbuttoning the tops few buttons. He did his best to guide her to the bedroom. His clothes leaving a trail behind them as they moved. Serena's coat and shoes had come off at some point but he couldn't remember when as they entered the bedroom. _His bedroom_.

His hands were sliding up her back as he reached for the zipper to her dress. Pulling it down he moved his hands to her shoulders. Pushing the material over them letting the dress fall off her body to pool around her feet.

Trowa broke away from her to take in the sight of her curves. To truly take in her this time. He had seen her body more than once, but this was the first time his eyes could really roam over her. Her body was sculptured to perfection. Every muscle toned, carving out the body of a goddess in his eyes. She wasn't overly toned, just enough to see hints of her strength. From her breast down to her hips, his eyes traveled taking in every inch of her. Trowa knew what she looked like. He had thought about her body more than once. But seeing her now was different and new. Her stomach still got him the most. He could make out the slight outline of her abs. Every inch of her was perfect and he couldn't figure out what part was his favorite. Besides for the obvious parts.

Trowa hadn't realized that he had taken a step back. He was too busy admiring her in nothing more than her bra and panties. He watched as she slowly brought her hands up reaching around her back. He heard the snap of her bra clasp before she let it fall to the ground. Slowly she moved her hands, sliding them over her own skin as she made her way down to her hips. Linking her fingers through the lace of her underwear. But she didn't remove them. Trowa brought his eyes up to meet hers as her infamous smirk returned. She had been watching him. Slowly she pushed her hands down, letting the lace slide over her hips before it joined the bra she had discarded already. Standing there in front of him with nothing on.

Before Serena could teased him longer he crushed himself to her. His hard body meeting hers. He still couldn't believe how soft she felt even as his hands roamed over her bare skin. Feeling, memorizing every inch of her. Something in him telling him that he needed to. Her mouth searing his as their kissing grew with intensity as he pushed her to the bed.

He wanted them to take their time. To explore each other and truly savor the moment. Her legs spread to accommodate him as he hovered over her. Breaking from their kiss, he moved his mouth to her neck where he began to plant small kisses on her skin. He nipped and sucked lightly as he made he way down before kissing the hollow of her neck. The soft sounds she made enticed him more as he moved lower. Taking one of her breast he slowly started to kneed it as he mouth captured the already puckered nipple. Her breast fit perfectly in his hands as he moved from one to the other. Her fingers had found their way into his hair. Encouraging him to keep going.

As he moved lower on her body, she felt her skin prickle with goosebumps after every kiss. It wasn't until he reached her center that she arched her back at the first contact his mouth made. She felt his strong arms tighten around her legs and hips holding her in place. Biting her lip to suppress a moan as she squeezed her thighs. The flame in her stomach building with each passing moment. When one of his hands moved to join his mouth, she felt like she was going to lose herself then. She let the sounds flow freely from her parted lips as she struggled to stay in place. Gripping the sheets as tightly as she could she let the wave of pleasure wash over her.

Trowa had been watching her closely. Her eyes were half lidded before she clamped them shut. He smiled to himself when he felt her hips buck before she arched her back again. Trying in vain to hold her in place as he continued. He had forgotten how strong she really was. He moved his other arm across her stomach trying to keep her from breaking contact with him. He wanted to savor everything she was giving him.

When she had settled back down he lifted his head. Watching the rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to regain her breathing. When his eyes met hers, he moved quickly to settle himself between her legs. Resting his weight on her before he captured her lips in another heated kiss. She started rubbing her legs against him before...

Trowa blinked when his back hit the bed. Looking up he saw her eyes brimming with mirth. "How did you..." She silenced him with a kiss. When she pulled away she looked into his eyes before lowering her head to whisper in his ear. " _I'm not going to hold back with you."_ His eyes flew up to the ceiling as she slid down his body. He felt her hand wrap around his member before her mouth descended onto him. _God help me..._

He squeezed his eyes shut as a groan escaped his throat. His hands moved to take a hold of her head. Stopping her movements. He opened his eyes to see her pull her mouth off him. Her eyes were an even darker shade of blue as the corners of lips turned up. He had meant to say something to her, but as she resumed he found the words lost on his lips. He wasn't sure if he could last as her hand and mouth worked in harmony together. He wanted to say something and stop her before it was too late, but she had broken away from him. Slowly he opened his eyes to see her grinning at him before she cradled back up the length of his body. Settling herself on top of him before their lips met once again.

As she rocked her hips against him, driving his senses even crazier, he came up with an idea. Keeping their mouths locked together he quickly flipped them back over so she was underneath him again. When she opened her eyes he smirked at her as he adjusted himself between her legs. Slowly he eased himself into her. He wanted to allow her time to adjusted to him but as her back arched, she pushed her hips into him causing him to gasps. Grabbing a hold of her hips his head snapped up to look directly into her eyes.

"Don't hold back either, Barton." Her lips curling up as her eyes sparkled at him.

* * *

Serena wasn't joking when she said she wasn't going to hold back. Every time he felt like he was in control of their love making she'd overpower him. It was tantalizing how she'd worked her way to be in control just let him take back over once she was satisfied. The feelings coursing through him that she was causing him to experience he knew he was done for. No one would ever compare to her. Even as her nails dug into his flesh. The sheer pain sealing his fate. _He was a goner_.

This continued through the night. Every time he felt like he was giving her another piece of himself, while she caved into his every need. He loved every sound she made. The way she'd say _his_ name. Making him feel like it was truly his own. The way she'd arch her back to meet his thrust, their bodies modeling together perfectly. Even the way she kissed him. It was like everything she did was for him and him only. Looking at her laying under him, he selfishly wondered how he could keep her to himself. To hold on to this, to hold on to her.

The sex had been rough, passionate and satisfying. The tension was gone from his body and from the woman laying in his arms next to him. Her body was relaxed against his chest as he felt her breath evenly.

After the third time they had laid down to try and get some rest. It was well into the earlier morning hours but part of him didn't want to sleep. Trowa stared at the back of her head wondering if any of this could be real. Or that he dare hope to ask her to stay. They never talked about what would happen once ROE was taken down. What she planned to do or where she'd go.

Trowa moved to nuzzle his face into her neck. A sigh escaping from her as she snuggled herself more into him. Smiling, he kissed her neck before laying his head back onto his pillow. Closing his eyes he knew he'd just have to find a way to keep her. However selfish it was he couldn't let her walk out of his life now. Not after tonight.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Anniversary**

Heero was struggling to understand how he had become the latest victim of Serena's influence.

Heero grumbled to himself as he adjusting his necktie. How had this happened? Serena knew what she was doing. She had been wrapping herself around everyone, - including himself it seemed. Duo would rant on about how much he liked her and how she had completed their group. As far as Heero saw it their group was already fine with the five of them. Six if he really had to count Zechs, but that was still up for judgment.

Trowa had only told him that Serena was a good person and that he should appreciate the work she had been doing for them. It did lighten the load on trying to look for the ROE members since essentially Serena was their inside source. Their only source really. But that was still something Heero didn't like. Trowa had grown close with Serena, there was no doubt in his mind about that. But how close were they?

Une and Wufei had kept their thoughts to themselves. For the most part. Wufei had stayed out of any conversations, but he did hold some respect for Serena. Which was hard in itself to gain from him. Une hadn't said much other than thanking Serena, which Heero had learned from Relena. As far as Relena went, she had become attached to Serena, maybe too attached. But that was something Heero didn't know what to do about.

Relena had been talking to her every day. Sometimes for long periods of time. Most of the time the conversations were about random topics and he'd just end up leaving the room. He didn't care to hear about new fashion trends or the latest products out on the market. Then he'd wonder what they talked about when he wasn't around. At one point Heero was half tempted to bug Relena's phone, but he knew that probably wouldn't end well for him. And if he were to be honest, he had just gotten out of the "dog house", as Duo called it. And he didn't want to end up back in it any time soon.

Heero wasn't stupid though. He knew yesterday that Relena had called Serena when he went to go get her the coffee. The coffee she wanted so badly from the cafe next door. Relena had been eyeing him all morning. He never looked up to meet her gaze but he knew she was watching him. Waiting for the perfect moment to call Serena.

It hadn't taken him long to get her coffee, so he ended up waiting around outside of her office for a few minutes. Allowing Relena to have her private time to place the call. Even though he knew full well it was to Serena. Whatever Relena wanted to speak about with her was between them and them only. Which only made him question why he had done any of it in the first place. Shouldn't he be monitoring their conversations?

Then not even a half hour after he had returned, Serena had called him. Before he could even ask a single question she told him to keep his responses vage. Right away he didn't like it. But he had allowed her to speak anyway. Maybe against his better judgement.

* * *

" _Relena told me your anniversary is tomorrow."_ _Heero wanted to say something but reframed, knowing full well Relena was listening. "Congratulation. I know you don't like when I melde in your personal life. But it's hard when Relena calls me daily. And don't you go saying something to her. I'm sure you've nocited how happy she's been." Heero couldn't deny the fact that Relena had been happier. "I think you should still do that_ something _nice that I suggested."_

" _What do you mean?" Heero asked. Hoping it sounded like they were discussing something work related._

" _Take her out to dinner. To that restaurant she's always talking about. The one off Wilson Street."_

 _Apparently Relena had been telling Serena a lot. Heero glanced at Relena to see if she was watching him. "Yeah, what about it?"_

" _Just surprise her. If you want I'll make the reservation and even pay for dinner."_

" _That's not necessary. I can handle that myself." Now he felt stupid for the way he sounded. But it seemed Serena picked up on that._

" _Relena's listening isn't she? Heero look… I just want you to be happy. For the both of you to be happy. You both deserve it. Just think it over and if you need any help just let me know, okay? I don't mind really."_

" _Alright thank you."_

* * *

Heero still couldn't believe he had let Serena help him. That probably shocked him the most. He wouldn't allow her to pay for their dinner but he did ask her to see if she could reserve them a table. He knew it'd be tricky for him to do so being around Relena. But taking the chance he left things in Serena's hands. And from the looks of it, Serena had outdone herself.

The upscale restaurant was difficult to get into to begin with. But Serena had somehow gotten them a private table, - away from other couples who were dining. The candlelight was the only real source of light as the crystal chandeliers above were dimmed. Perfectly white linens covered the tables. The table was small, made for a more intimate setting. A complimentary bottle of champagne had been brought to them and was chilling on ice. Heero knew that Serena must have asked for them to have one. It was too obvious when the waiter brought it and asked Heero if this was the bottle he had selected. Heero shamefully went along with it. He was after all supposed to pretend like he had planned the whole night.

" _Just make sure you act like you've planned everything."_ Serena's words reminding him.

As Heero brought his eyes up from his menu his breath caught again. Relena looked stunning from where she sat just across from him. Her hair was curled, pulled into a half updo. A few strands falling around her face, framing her face perfectly. She had opted to go light with her makeup but enhanced her lashes with mascara. Making them long and thick. Her lips were the perfect shade of pink from the gloss she had chosen. Relena knew what he liked and knew what would drive him crazy. She had choose to wear a little red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Heero hadn't seen it till she took off her jacket once they arrived at their table. She also had picked the black heels that brought them closer in height. The ones he loved seeing her wear. Preferably when they were at home, _alone_.

Heero watched her as she brought her hand up to push a strand of hair behind her ear. The diamond bracelet he had given her earlier reflecting the candlelight. Along with the small diamond pendant that hung around her neck. Relena had worn it every day since he gave it to her on her birthday a year ago. While Relena had always said she didn't need gifts from him, he still made sure he gave her something. Even if it was something small. The smile he would receive from her was all he ever needed inturn. He didn't need gifts, just her and her smile.

The bracelet had been Serena's idea. Heero wanted to get Relena something nice, something to show his appreciation for everything she did for him. For them. Taking a chance again he asked Serena if she knew anything that Relena might like. Serena had said jewely. From what she understood woman enjoyed receiving it as a gift. Heero knew this but when he dug deeper he was able to learn that Relena had wanted to look into getting a matching bracelet to go along with the necklace he had given her. It was all the information he needed before he was able to locate one he liked.

It was perfect in his eyes and Serena's information had held up. Relena had been over the moon when she opened the box. " _How did you know?!"_ Relena's smile was wide as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Relena didn't wear a lot of jewelry, - especially diamonds, but she had told him that she wanted a few nice pieces for when they went out. Heero wondered if he should thank Serena and let her know that Relena had liked her gift. But that thought was quickly pushed aside when Relena had flung her arms around his neck. Kissing him soundly on the lips.

* * *

Heero had been enjoying the evening with Relena. Without the stress of everyday life hanging over their heads, it seemed like for once, - in the last two months, they were able to relax. They had talked about a few things. Nothing work related. They had both agreed that for one night the world didn't need them.

Relena had asked if he would officially move in with her. He had surprised himself again when he said he would. But his lease wasn't up for another six months or so. Relena had been quick to suggest that Duo and Hilde take over the rent till the lease was up and that it would give them more time to find a place of their own.

Heero had agreed to think over the idea. It wouldn't hurt since he wouldn't be there and Relena was right about it helping out the Maxwell's. He was slowly realizing that at the end of the conversation he felt even more relaxed and happy. Relena's smiling adding to the feeling.

He knew he would eventually move in with her since she had bought the townhouse with him in mind. But now seemed like a perfect time. Regardless of the fact he had put himself on permanent security duty, but more on how it just felt right. In a strange way the timing couldn't have been better. Their relationship had bloomed more over the last six years. Regardless if they had only been "dating" for four of those years. Heero knew he had already spent a lifetime with Relena. But he wanted to spend eternity with her.

She was his everything and he was her everything.

* * *

After dinner, when they arrived back at " _their"_ home, as Relena was now calling it. They made their way in side as Relena thanked him for the lovely evening but asked if they could turn in early for the _real fun_.

Heero had no qualms about doing just that. Moving to the kitchen he grabbed a bottle of wine out of the wine fridge before moving to get two glasses. Uncorking the wine bottle, he let it sit before putting the cork back in. Taking all the items he made his way upstairs to the bedroom. _Their_ bedroom.

As he entered the room he nearly dropped the wine, along with the glasses. Relena stood from the bed with nothing more than her lingerie and heels on. His eyes must have gone wide as Relena smirked at him.

"You brought wine?" Relena purred as she walked towards him. Taking the bottle and glasses from him, moving to one of night stands. "Are you going to join me or just stand there?" She asked from over her shoulder.

Heero quickly removed his clothes, throwing them around the room before moving to the bed where Relena had sat down.

"That's better." Relena smiled as she handed him the glass. "Let's toast. To a wonderful four years and many more to come." They clinked their glasses together before each taking a sip. Or in Heero's case, downing the whole glass in one gulp.

Relena raised an eyebrow at him. "A little impatient aren't we?"

"Hard not to be." Heero said leaning over her to set the glass down.

"I can see that." Relena giggled before downing her glass, setting it down next to his.

"Then why are we just sitting here?" Heero's lips tugged up at the corners.

He didn't give her a chance to respond as tilted his head, pressing his lips to hers. Wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer. Relena's lip parting eagerly as he pushed his tongue through to join hers. Tasting the wine as their tongues swirled in a heated battle. Keeping their mouths together, Heero moved to lay Relena down as he straddled her waist. He tried to pull away only to have her pull him back down to continue their kiss.

Breaking away breathless, Relena's ocean blue eyes opened to meet his. Holding him captive as she whispered. "Let's take our time."

Heero nodded his head before lower his lips back to hers. If she wanted for them to take their time, then he would. Slowly he started to move his hands, brushing soft touches to her arms, stomach and legs. Touching all his favorite places. Even though every part of her was his favorite. He moved a hand to her breast, cupping it lightly in his hand. Relena moaned into his mouth as he started to squeeze before he pushed the lace material away.

Leaving her mouth he kissed his way down. From her jaw, to the spot on her neck just below her ear that she loved. Making his way down he glanced up to see Relena's eyes closed before his mouth descended on her breast. He savored the feeling of her soft skin and the harden nipple as he swirled his tongue over it.

Heero felt her hands in his hair as he moved to attend to her other breast. Giving it the same attention as he had her other. Relena's soft moans filling the room as he went back and forth.

"Lower." Heero snapped his head up. Relena had a devilish smile on her lips. "Lower." She repeated.

Heero's lips curled up. "As you wish." Who was he to tell her no?

Heero made his way down to her center. Leaving a trail of kisses on her skin. Relena had spread her legs so he could nestle himself between them. Slowly he lowered his mouth as Relena's hands once again found their way into his hair. Her moans growing louder as he continued to bring her the pleasure she desired.

"More." Relena's voice floated to his ears as her fingers gripped his hair harder. Moving one of his free hands to join his mouth. Her hips bucking as his fingers made contact with her.

Heero was starting to wonder if Relena was trying to torture him. Whenever he thought she was satisfied, she'd just tell him to keep going. It wasn't that he minded but the stain of his own needs were starting to weigh on him. After a few more minutes he finally lifted his head.

"Relena…" Heero murmured. His voice low and husky. Relena's eyes opened slowly.

"Lay down." She said softly.

Heero shook his head. Even though Relena wanted them to take their time, he was done waiting. Sitting up he moved himself. Adjusting her legs Heero looked into her eyes, waiting for confirmation that he should continue. Relena smiled softly as she reached her arms out to him. Leaning forward Heero allowed Relena to encircle his neck with her arms, bringing their faces together. Her kiss was soft and warm as he gently eased himself into her. Relena broke away gasping as their body became one.

Heero started out his pace slow, savoring the feeling of them. Relena's hands sliding over his back to his arms. Her mouth pressing kisses to his neck as he cradled his head in her shoulder. Whispering in his ear. Heero groaned as he picked up his pace. Relena knew exactly what to say, and when to say it. Heero turned his head kissing her on the lips in a heated kiss before moving to sit straight up.

Increasing his thrust, Heero wanted to bring Relena the the release she was begging him for while he tried to hold off on his own. Though Relena was making it difficult. With every breathy moan and encouraging words, he thought he would lose it any moment.

As he worked harder, Heero felt not only her hands tighten around his arms, but her center closing in around him. Relena's cry filling the air before his own cry of release joined hers. Leaning forward, Heero rested his forehead against hers. Their breaths mingling together as their heart rates came back down from the rush of their love making. Opening his eyes he saw that she was staring at him. Her lips parted ever so slightly.

"I love you, Heero." Relena said softly. Heero angled his head to press a kiss to her lips.

"Relena… I…" Heero said as he pulled away to look into her eyes again.

Relena smiled up at him. "I know." He offered her a smile of his own before he rolled off her to cradle her in his arms. Content to stay like this for the night. For forever.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Saturday!_

 _I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet ;). I'm also going to keep my message short. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Two chapters in a row of, well, fun! Hahaha! Thank you all for reading and for the wonder reviews I've_ _received_ _! There's still much more to come! :-D Have a great weekend and I'll see you all again next week with another chapter!_

 _-MM_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19  
** **Feelings:  
** **Part One**

Serena was woken up by an alarm going off. As she started to opened her eyes, she heard someone groan next to her as they flipped themselves over shutting off the alarm before returning to wrap their arm around her midsection again.

At first Serena couldn't figure out where she was. The bedroom looked different than what she was used to seeing. Then there was the fact that _someone_ else was in bed with her. She hadn't slept that well in such a long time that she couldn't even remember the last time she had gotten a good night's rest. Even though she was still tired and sore, Serena felt well rested.

 _Why am I so sore? Oh… that's right._ "Trowa…" Serena whispered softly.

"Five more minutes…" Trowa grumbled into her hair as he pulled her closer to his warm body.

Serena chuckled lightly. "You need to get up. _We_ need to get up." Turning herself to face him better, Trowa looked at her with one eye open. His bangs a mess around his head. "I'll go make us some coffee." Trowa said nothing as he released the hold he had on her waist. Serena pushed the sheets off herself before climbing out of the bed.

Walking to the door she stopped to stare at the trail of clothes littering the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Trowa as he sat up. A questioning look on his face. "What? You've never seen a woman walk around naked before?" Serena smirked as she tilted her head towards him.

"It's not an everyday occurrence for me, no." He offered her a smile of his own.

"You may want to get used to it. It's not like you're _never_ going to see me naked again." Serena said as she leaned against the door frame. "Also, I think we need to pick up the trail of evidence leading to the bedroom." Serena watched as Trowa jumped out of bed. Coming to stand a foot away from her.

"What?" He asked as he saw her eyebrow raise in question.

"Someone seems to be at attention this morning." Serena's smiled widened as she watched him look down before bring his eyes back up to hers.

"Like what you see?" Trowa said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Serena laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She continued to laugh as she walked out of the room. "I'm going to make us that coffee now."

Once the coffee was done brewing, Serena poured two cups for them. Making her way back into the bedroom, she found Trowa sitting back on the bed. "You should be getting ready for work." Serena said as she handed him one of the cups.

"Thank you. I thought maybe I'd extend my original invitation." Trowa smirked against his mug before taking a sip.

"Looking for a repeat?" Serena mirrored his actions.

"I'd much rather have you _in_ the shower with me this time." Serena's lips curled up, but before she could do anything Trowa was already standing taking her cup away from her before he proceeded to pick her up. Serena's laughter echoing through the room as he carried her into the bathroom.

* * *

Their shower lasted longer than it should have. While she enjoyed running her hands over his taut muscles, she knew he need to get ready for work. Even when he was making that a difficult task to accomplish. With every kiss and every touch he showered her with, her mind slowly started to forget the rest of the world. As his hand slipped between her legs she ignored the soreness to relish in his touch.

Trowa had picked up fast on what she wanted from him last night. When she allowed him to have control he worked to keep the pace she had set for them. He became less worried about hurting her and became more engrossed with the sex they were having. Serena knew he could meet her expectations. In fact he may of exceeded those expectations. It wasn't that she didn't mind the slow and sensual act of sex, but rather she preferred someone to challenge her.

Someone she could be herself with.

Serena knew Trowa could handle her strength and she had hoped that he would be able to fulfill her _needs_. More often than not, she would have to hold herself back. Never truly having those needs fulfilled. Though last night... last night she didn't have to.

Her lips curled up at the memory while Trowa kissed her neck. He had managed to find a spot that had her begging him for more. Trowa may have been taking his time now. Slowly building up the tension again between them. Though as she asked him for what she really wanted, he had no objections as his hand slid down her side to lift her leg. Her head resting against the tile in the shower as he pushed himself into her. Joining them together once again.

Trowa's head was resting against her shoulder as the water sprayed down his back. He had increased his pace with each thrust. Bring them closer to the edge. Serena could hear his grunts even as her own moans mixed with the sounds around them. She opened her eyes when she felt him lift his head. Looking into his green eyes, glazed with lust before he lowered his head to capture her lips. As their kissing grew she started to feel something else ignite in her. Something about the way he was kissing her made her body tingle. It wasn't just the flame burning in stomach, but something in her chest. The same feeling she's had a few times now. The same feeling he had invoked in her last night.

Breaking away, Serena leaned forward to whispered in his ear. Trowa grunted a response before tightening his hold on her as he quickened his pace. Serena knew he was close to his release as she encouraged him more. Her own release not far away as she gripped his shoulders tighter. Trying to keep her balance. Then she felt her breath leave her as the pleasure washed over her. Trowa's own breath ragged against her cheek as his own release came.

Slowly she opened her eyes again. Both of them were struggling to regain their breathing as they stared into each other's. Trowa's gaze was intense and for a moment Serena saw something flash through his eyes before he closed them. Kissing her firmly but gently on the lips.

"We should probably finish up…" He murmured against her lips.

"Don't want you to be late…" Serena whispered back.

* * *

Trowa ended up having to rush to make it to work on time. Before he ran out the door he stopped to grabbed the extra cup of coffee she had made for him. Thanking her with a kiss and murmuring his goodbye. Serena bit her lips when the door finally closed. Leaving her to herself for the day. Trowa had said he'd call her when he could, but as she fiddled with teardrop pendant hanging around her neck, she wasn't so sure what she was doing. What _they_ were doing.

Serena remembered the look in his eyes when he had shown it to her. The contentment swirling about in his green eyes for the small gift. While she had received gifts in the past his was special in some way. It felt different to wear. Almost as if she were to remove it she'd lose the feelings it held. Feelings she still didn't understand.

As she rolled it between her fingers guilt started to slowly creep up until it fully consumed her.

Trowa had no idea who she really was or what she was truly capable of. The realization made her chest tighten more. Trowa may have been a soldier but she was far more deadlier than he was. He had no idea what he was getting himself involved in. As her hand tightened around the pendant she knew she needed to address it with him. Especially after what had already happened between them.

Serena's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a noise coming from the hallway. Dropping her hand from the necklace she made her way towards her room. Locating the source of the noise she frowned when she realized it was coming from her computer. Opening the screen she was greeted by a scowling man.

"Delta! I have yet to receive your confirmation."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "So?"

"So?" The man repeated. "You need to confirm. I cannot turn a blind eye to this."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Tough, figure it out for yourself."

"Don't be foolish. If I have to I'll have you brought back."

"I'd like to see you try." Serena laughed. "Because of you," she said pointing a finger at the screen. "I'm in this mess. Thanks for that by the way." The older man scoffed at her. "I refuse to accept the new orders. I figured I made myself clear when I didn't confirm the last one."

"And you know your purpose. Delta, this isn't some game you can play. If you don't…"

"Don't what? I thought I made myself clear, I'm done playing _your_ games." Serena cut him off. "Twice now you have failed to see that. In fact it's been more than that. How many times do I have to _kill_ someone before you realize you were wrong? How many more times do I need to try and kill _myself_ before you learn?"

"Delta…" His voice low.

"I'll kill you first, then I'm going after _him_."

"You're making a huge mistake."

"The only mistake I see is _you_ letting someone _control_ another human being." Serena slammed the screen shut. With her fists balling at her sides, she tried to control her breathing as the anger continued to build inside of her.

* * *

Serena had been pacing since her "little" chat with J. Her anger fell and grew with each passing thought. Too many rushing through her head as she tried to organize them. She needed to come up with a new plan. One that would help to better shape the outcome she wanted. She was playing a dangerous game, one she knew that could end her life. But that had never stopped her before. Especially after she learned that dying was harder than one would think it could be.

 _I should've pulled the tiger when I had the chance._ Serena grumbled to herself.

Blowing herself up had only succeeded in destroying part of a hanger and killing a few unfortunate personnel who happened to be close enough to the blast.

She remembered waking up to find out Edwards had been enraged with her for doing such a thing. And apparently still was even after a month of her being unconscious. Not only had the cockpit been damaged and needed to be rebuilt. But the hanger was seventy percent destroyed. J had been impressed with the fact that she lived. Even though he had told her that next time maybe she should stay inside the cockpit if she wished to kill herself.

She had rolled her eyes before telling him that the next time she'd just blow up the whole damn place. After all it was partially his idea. Even though she had gone and added a few extra detonators, hoping it would've blown up the whole satellite in the first place. But J was one step ahead of her.

The hanger was reinforced to contain any explosives. The observation room had gone untouched by her stunt, which only added more fuel to the fire that was burning inside of her. The only thing she regretted was not being able to see Edwards's face when she had done it. It would of made everything a little more worthwhile in her eyes.

Doctor J had only been a constant reminder of her failure. Whether he saw it or not, she knew she had failed. Serena knew getting away from any of her past was going to be hard, but she needed to do something. Anything. Going back wasn't an option for her. But was staying here one? She wondered if maybe she had once again fallen victim to another curl game of J's. Anytime she felt she was getting a step ahead, he'd come and knock her down. Or maybe it wasn't really him. Maybe he was just the messenger being sent as a reminder.

Serena balled her fits again. _But he's the one who did this to me. He's the one that never stopped_ him _from..._

Serena sighed as she stopped her pacing. It was always the same. No matter what she couldn't change the past. After all, her past is what had helped shape her into who she was today. She just needed to keep moving forward. She felt a pain run from her neck into her head. Reaching a hand around she rubbed the back of her neck. Another small reminder of who she was.

Walking to the kitchen to check her phone, she knew she needed to check in soon. Picking up the phone she entered her pin to unlock the device. With the buzzing of an error she tried again. Thinking maybe she hit the wrong numbers. Frown down at the phone after her third attempt, realization dawned on her that she had Trowa's phone instead of hers. The corners of her mouth turned up as she ran to grabbed her jacket. Throwing it on she zipped it up to her neck as she walked into Trowa's room making for the closet.

Once locating a hat, she tucked her hair into it. Hoping the slightly oversized hat would stay in place long enough. Walking back out of his room she headed for the door. Stopping only briefly to grab the only set of keys hanging on a hook before leaving the apartment.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Hump Day!_

This will be short. So we finally learn Serena has been talking to Doctor J, but what do you think J is asking her to do? Also anyone else loving the fact there was an actual shower scene!? Anyway, on to part two! :)

 _-MM_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20  
** **Feelings:  
** **Part Two**

Serena had been making her way through Preventers unnoticed until someone touched her arm. Stopping her in her tracks.

"Hey! Need some help?"

Serena groaned inwardly. It wasn't that she didn't mind seeing this particular person. She just wanted to stay unnoticed long enough to swap out her and Trowa's phones. "No." She said before trying to move away.

"Hey… wait a minute…" Serena felt her arm being grabbed before the hat she was wearing lifted enough to see a set of violet eyes looking at her. "Holy shit! Rena!?" Duo hissed before pushing the hat back down. Holding her arm still, he started to walk. "What are you doing here!?"

"I need to see Trowa."

"You know you're not supposed to be here. C'mon I'll bring you to lover boy. Last I knew he was in his office."

"Lover boy?"

Duo winked at her from over his shoulder. "It's just an expression. Don't worry." Serena rolled hers but said nothing as she lowered her head. They were walking past a few people as Duo rambled on about something. "See this place isn't too bad. But it's easy to get lost in if you don't know where you're going!" Luckily for her he had dropped her arm as they rounded a corner.

* * *

Trowa sat at his deck going over a few reports when he checked his phone. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't already thinking about her. He didn't really want to come into work this morning. He would've of preferred to stay at home with Serena. To just be with her. Trowa was hoping Serena had sent him a message but as he checked the phone he saw that there was only one new message. But it was from Heero. As he tried to unlock his phone he realized he wasn't able to.

Frowning down at the screen it hit him that he must of grabbed Serena's phone as he rushed out the door. He hadn't even bothered to check to see if it was his. Both of their phones were on the breakfast bar when he left.

As if on cue, Heero barged into his office. _Again._

"Where is she?" Heero said gruffly, coming to stand in front of his desk.

"At home where she's supposed to be." Trowa said while meeting Heero's hardened glare.

"Not according to her phone. It says she's here."

Trowa held up the phone. "I'm well aware of that. I grabbed her phone instead of mine this morning."

Heero's face fell into a frown before he pulled himself back together. He opened his mouth to speak when the door to Trowa's office flew open.

Heero and Trowa turned their attention to the door as Duo's voice could be heard yelling down the hallway before they saw someone being shoved into the room. Duo following after before shutting the door behind him. Duo whirled around to rip the hat off of the other person. Long brown hair fall down their back side.

"You know if you didn't talk so much you wouldn't bring so much attention to yourself." Serena said as she placed her hands on her hips. "You could've just told me to head down the hallway and I would've made here."

"Yeah and what if one of these clowns saw you? Huh? You know Heero would have a shit fit if he knew you were here." Duo mimicking her stance. "You're lucky _I_ ran into you first. You could've just called." Serena rolled her eyes before turning slightly to the side.

"Too late for that." Serena said as she glanced in Heero's direction.

"Huh?" Duo looked around Serena. "Oh… shit."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Heero growled.

Serena said nothing as she walked over to where Heero was standing. Pulling out Trowa's phone she handed it to him before taking her's. "To switch our phones." She finally said turning to face him.

"You're not supposed to be here, and how did you even get here?" Serena's lips curled up as she held up a set of keys.

"She took my bike." Heero swung his eyes to Trowa. A smug smile on his face.

Duo whistled from where he was standing off to the side. "Damn, you must be special if Trowa's letting you take his bike. He doesn't let anyone ride it. And I mean _anyone_."

"You'd just end up wrecking it." Trowa said. Standing up he pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. "Serena, if you want you can take my car back and I'll take my bike."

Serena shook her head. "No, I'd rather stick with the bike." The corner of her lips turned up slightly before she started to move away from his desk. She didn't get far as Heero's hand shot up, grabbing her arm. The neckline of her jacket pulling away from her skin. Trowa's eyes widen for a moment before he relaxed his features. He hoped Heero didn't see the mark on her neck that she was trying to keep hidden. Serena had jerked her arm away. Quickly pulling her hair to cover the right side of her neck as she glared at Heero.

"Leave Trowa's bike here. I'll drive you back myself." Heero said as he tightened his eyes.

"That's not necessary. I only came here to switch our phones and that's it. You can track the route I took." Serena moved to cross her arms. "I know how much you love to see how many times I've _never_ left the apartment."

Heero thought he was gonna lose it. Just this morning he was thinking about thanking Serena for what she had done yesterday for him but now… now he wished he never had the thought cross his mind. He opened his mouth to say something when the door opened, _again_.

Everyone's eye landed on Wufei as he stepped into the room. His brow lifted as he took in the sight of everyone before his eyes landed on Serena. Nodding his head he walked over to her. "Can I borrow you for a few minutes?"

Serena lifted her own brow as she stared at him. "For what?"

"Need you to look at something." Wufei watched as she turned to look at Heero before turning back to face him. Giving him a curt nod he turned on his heel. Sensing Serena falling into step behind him, he walked back out of Trowa's office. It wasn't long before he heard more footsteps. No doubt the rest of them were following.

Once they arrived at his office, Wufei had Serena sit down in his chair before he pulled up a new screen on his computer. Wufei glanced up to see Duo, Heero and Trowa all standing around his deck. "Does any of this mean anything to you?" Wufei asked as he looked back at her. Serena's finger immediately flew to the keys as she started typing. Her face hardening as she scanned the lines of data.

"They're coordinates." She said flatly.

Wufei nodded his head. "Yes, they are. But do any of them jump out at you?" Serena paused to point to a line on the screen.

"This one. It was one of the satellites. Unfortunately I don't think we'd find anything there as the base was destroyed." It didn't take long for Duo, Heero and Trowa to gathered around the other side of the desk.

"That's off of L3, according to this." Duo said.

"Originally it was, but because it had it's own power system, there's a possibility that it may have been moved." Serena turned her head to look at Duo. "Chances are it's still there. The last time I was there was right before half of it was blown up."

"What about any of these?" Wufei asked, pulling her attention back to the screen. Her fingers gliding over the keys as she highlighted a few more.

"These look familiar… but I can't be sure. Where did you get this?"

"That data that was recovered from our last mission." He tipped his head at her. "The one where Barton found you. I decided to take a look myself after you and Heero went through it. Thanks for doing the hard part by the way." Serena frowned at his words. "There was another file that you missed. It contained this list. Most are the locations of the colonies and planets, but there's locations of other places like MO-V."

Serena's frown deepened as she sat back. "As good as this information is, it's not accurate."

"What do you mean?" Duo asked. "We have a list of possible places where these crazy Edwards's guys are."

Serena shook her head. "J probably wants you guys to think that. Since the old base is on here chances are these coordinates aren't real." She pointed to one on the screen. "This one _looks_ right, but if we look it up there's probably nothing there. Just empty space. Sending anyone would just be a waste of time to be honest."

The room went silent. As Serena started typing again, highlighting more locations. "These aren't real. But there is a pattern." She pointed to one, "see this?" Moving to another she pointed out the same set of numbers. "These are just all random points but there all centrally located."

Wufei nodded his head. "This is why I wanted you to look at them."

"Why if you already knew?" Serena shot him a look.

"If I send this to you do you think you can dig deeper? There's a chance we may _actually_ be able to find a location."

"I don't know all the locations. If I did I would've said so by now."

"But you have a general _idea_." Wufei hardened his eyes. "If we have one location, you can find the rest."

Serena sat back in the chair, closing her eyes. "I'll look at them but I don't think it'll help any. Like I said I don't know all the locations. I can't even tell you where the rest of the Gundam was being built. The first location I showed you was the last one I was at. Then I was moved underground and wasn't privileged to the finer details of things."

"Exactly why was that?" Heero finally spoke for the first time. His anger still at the forefront but if Serena had more information they needed to get it from her.

Serena's lip curled up into a smirk. " _Pissed off the wrong person._ " She said to Heero and Heero only.

"How?"

"Remember how I told you I self destructed?" She tilted her head at the screen. "I was the reason the base was destroyed. Should've used more explosives though." Shrugging her shoulders, "but that's in the past."

Something in the way she looked at him and the way she spoke set off an eerie feeling inside of him. He remember the conversation, but from his understanding it was J's idea to have her blow herself up. But the way she was playing it off now Heero wondered if it was truly her idea to begin with. And if that was the case, why would she have done it in the first place?

"Um, do you guys mind speaking in a language we can _all_ understand?" Duo asked looking between the two of them. "If you're sharing some inside joke about me, that's totally not cool." Serena rolled her eyes while Heero glared at him.

"Wufei, just send everything and I'll see what I can do." Wufei nodded his head before leaning over his desk.

"If we need to we can cross reference any with all currently known locations." Standing up he looked back down at her. "All set." Serena nodded her head as she rose from his chair. Before she could say anything else, Une opened Wufei's office door.

"So this is where…" Une's eyes hardened as she locked eyes with Serena. "Lowell, what are you doing here?"

"I accidently took her phone this morning." Trowa said. "She came to retrieve it." Serena glanced at him with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Serena you know you're not supposed to be here. Our meeting next week is one thing, but random visits are prohibited."

"Understood." Serena said moving around the desk. "I was just on my way out."

"Not so fast." Une held up her hand. "Since you're already here I would like to go over something with you. Come to my office in twenty minutes." With that Une turned on her heel. "I suggest the rest of you get back to work. And Yuy," Une threw over her shoulder. "Relena called looking for you. Her meeting is over with."

Heero grumbled something under his breath as he walked past Serena, but not before stopping to speak with her. "Tell me the minute you leave Une's office."

"Sure thing." Serena waved a hand at him. "By the way, I hope you enjoyed your evening last night." Serena's eyes sparkled as she watched Heero's face. His face had deadpanned before he stormed out of the office.

Trowa shook his head as he came to stand next to her. "You know you're playing with fire right?" Her eyes still sparkling as she looked up at him.

"I think I'm playing with _much more_ than just fire." Trowa's brows lifted before a small smirk formed on his lips.

"You can come back to my office. I'll bring you up to Une's when it's time." Serena nodded her head before she swept past him, back out into the hallway. Trowa following close behind.

"Man, she definitely makes thing more interesting around here. Don't you agree Wu?" Duo asked while he placed his hands behind his head.

"Stop calling me that and don't you have work to do, Maxwell?" Wufei glared at him before returning to his own work.

Duo stuck out his tongue before moving to leave. "At least _she's_ more fun."

"I saw that. Why don't you shut my door. Just don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out. I don't need a permanent imprint of it." Duo gaped at him when Wufei never bothered to look up from his computer.

* * *

Trowa shut his office door as he watched Serena walk over to his desk. Her fingers running over his nameplate before she turned to face him. "Now what?"

Trowa took a few long strides, coming to stand in front of her. "What do you mean?"

"I still have about fifteen minutes before I need to meet Une." Serena shrugged as she unzipped her jacket. Trowa's hand immediately lifting to cup her chin, tilting her head to the side.

"Sorry." He murmured. The bruised skin was a dead give away to what they had done.

"Why are you feeling sorry?" Serena's eyes tightened. "Trowa, we should talk about this." She saw the questioning look on his face. Sighing inwardly, it was now or never. "You said if _we_ were going to do this, that we were going to do it the right way."

Trowa took a step back from her. Her whole demeanor changing. "Yes, and I still believe we should."

"Why?" Serena saw the frown on his handsome face. "We've already slept together. What's the difference?"

"What's the difference?" Trowa was shocked. He couldn't believe what she was implying. "The difference is we're trying to have an _actual_ relationship and not just some hook up." Serena's head tilted slightly as she regarded him. "Serena," Trowa started before running a hand through his hair. "If this isn't something you want, I won't force you into it. It's your decision."

"This isn't my decision. It's yours."

"Huh?"

"I'm not who you think I am. Being with me may only cause you harm in the end." Trowa's eyes narrow at her.

"That's bullshit. I know who you are."

"I'm only warning you." She kept her voice low. "If you want this... just know you'd be risking everything by being with me."

"Why would I be risking everything?" Trowa's voice rising.

"Your job. Your life." She shook her head. "I'm not worth it."

He took a step towards her. "What if I want to?" He saw her deep blue eyes flash at him. "What if I'm willing to risk everything?"

"I can't control everything that may happen from here on out. Are you willing to put any and all feelings aside to do what's best?"

"What do you mean?"

She straighten herself to her full height. Lifting her chin to look directly in his eyes. "Are you willing to kill me if necessary?" His eyes grew wide. "If the answer is yes then…"

"No." He cut her off.

Serena's eyes tightening. "You wouldn't kill me?"

"No!" He said harsher this time.

"Then we have our answer then." Serena moved to walk past him. "I need to go meet Une. I don't want to be late."

Reaching out Trowa grabbed her arm pulling her back to him. "I already have feelings. I've _had_ them since I first met you. Asking me to just brush them aside isn't going to happen. This _isn't_ my decision. It's _yours_. Think about it. If you choose not to pursue this I'll understand." Trowa said before he released her arm.

They stood staring at each other. He kept searching her face for something, anything to tell him that she was thinking. Then slowly she took in a shaky breath.

"I want this." She whispered.

* * *

 _A/N I know I said this already but, Happy Hump Day! We are_ _officially_ _half way through the week! Woo-hoo!_

 _So in these two chapters we learned a little more about Serena. Personally I think she's_ _struggling_ _with too much stuff. Damn girl should be happy right? Well maybe not so much. I gotta feeling her life will be flipped upside down in the near_ _future_ _. Maybe in a few good ways._

 _Trowa confesses he has feeling for her and it seems Serena may return those feelings in some sort of way? Either that or lets face it, it must be the sex. Haha sorry for my bluntness. Couldn't help myself._

 _Wufei needs her help? Odd but maybe he's onto something that Serena hasn't picked up on yet._

 _Duo is well... Duo.  
Heero is pissed... guess Serena was doing well till she made a workplace visit to HQ._

 _And last but not least, Une. Wonder what she wants to talk to Serena about?_

 _On a sad note,_ _unfortunately_ _I_ _don't_ _think I'll be able to get another chapter up this week. I had to split this chapter into two parts due to_ _length._ _But I wasn't going to hold out to post the second half. :-D Hopefully I'll be able to get back on track and get another chapter up soon. Not gonna lie though, I probably won't be writing a damn thing all weekend as I am kid free and the hubby and I are going to go do adult things. Like staying out all night long because we can. Lol. I hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend!_

 _-MM_

 _P.S. Sorry for making this so long!_


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N_** _Happy Thirsty Thursday! No I didn't disappear, just a little bit of a rough start to the week. My daughter unfortunately caught a 24-hour bug and was sick for a few days. But I just so happen to have the chapter written just not edited, so here ya go! This is also what happens when you don't sleep in while your child is away for the weekend ;)._

 _Anywho... I need to address something quickly so there's no confusion down the line. I have been going back to the beginning of this story and making the necessary corrections that I missed. I'm also editing the chapters to break them up more. With that being said when I do post the new updated ones the chapter numbers will change. I will note in my A/N when this happens so there is no confusion. Don't worry about going back and re-reading, nothing has changed story wise. It's just a heads up so say if we go from chapter twenty-one to chapter thirty you're not freaking out thinking you missed something. Also, thank you to those who review! I appreciated still more than you can imagine. To those who have been reading, and there's a lot of ;), just PM me if you don't want to leave a review. I'd honestly love to hear your thoughts! I promise I don't bite! Hahaha. Alright on to the newest chapter(s)? ;)_

 _-MM_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One  
** **Secret Plans**

By the time Heero had gotten back to the Senate House Relena was already fuming. He had left her with a couple of agents as he ran back to HQ to grab a few things he needed before they went back to her office for the rest of the day. The half-hour trip turned into over an hour between finding out Serena was in fact at Preventers and Wufei's impromptu request to have Serena help him. All of which had Heero's head spinning. Then to top it off between traffic and the fact he had stopped to grab Relena one of her favorite coffees - as an apology - he had now been gone a total of an hour and forty-five minutes.

Luckily for him, Relena wasn't mad at him but rather one of the bodyguards he had left to look over her. From what Heero saw the poor guy must of said or did something wrong because Relena was giving him the full treatment. She was running through the list of procedures and protocols. Heero smiled to himself as he came to stand next to her. Even when Relena complained about the long and possibly never ending list he had created, she still knew when it was acceptable to bend the rules slightly and when it was completely out of the question. Like right now.

"Agent Douglas, you and I both know now is not the time to be slipping up. These procedures are put into place not just for my safety but for yours as well. Please, next time do not forget that." Relena had her chin lifted with all the poise of a politician that she was.

"Is everything alright here?" Heero asked. Eyeing Agent Douglas who looked like he was about ready to hightail it out of the building.

"Yes sir! Everythings fine." Matthew Douglas said as calmly as he could muster.

"Agent Yuy." Relena said turning herself to face him. "I think Agent Douglas needs another reminder of what our procedures and protocols are. I have already refreshed his memory but I think it would be wise if you were to sit him down and go over them again." Heero would much rather prefered her to call him by his first name, but he'd be lying if he didn't mind having her say his last name with such an authoritative sound to it.

"Hn. I appreciate your opinion Ms. Darlian." Heero saw the twinkle in her eyes and the small smile she gave him before she schooled her face.

"Thank you. I believe I am ready to leave now. Am I going back to my office with you, Agent Yuy?" Heero nodded his head before placing a hand on the small of her back. Thanking the other agents before they started walking back down the hallway towards the parking garage.

"I hope you know that I do really like it when you take your safety into your own hands." Heero whispered to Relena as they walked. He heard her chuckles as she turned ocean blue eyes to him.

"I'm happy that I made you proud. You've drilled them into me more than I think you have to Matthew. I do feel bad but he needed a reminder. Especially with us being on high alert."

"You should know them like the back of your hand. For this very reason. Matthew also hasn't been on duty with you for some time. But you were right to go over them with him. I'll make sure I do as well."

"I do really like him. I hope I didn't scare him too bad." Heero chuckled.

"He'll be fine. I would like to have him put on full time for your detail. That's if Une agrees and second, if he really wants to after this." Relena swatted his arm playfully.

"Heero! I'm not that terrible!" Heero smiled before he opened the door to the garage. Scanning the area before they headed towards his SUV. Just because they were having a lighter moment during their work day didn't mean that he could slip up. Relena was his number one priority.

"We need to make one stop before we head to your office." Heero said once inside the vehicle.

"Oh?" Relena lifted an eyebrow at him. "And what is that exactly?"

* * *

It was all Trowa needed to hear before he crushed his lips to Serena's. Her lips parted eagerly as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulling her closer. He wanted her to feel how he truly felt about her. Her arms had wound themselves around his neck as they continued searching each others mouths.

Trowa broke the kiss to look into her eyes. His hand holding the back of her head as her midnight blue stared into his own emerald green. "Whatever happens we'll deal with it when the time comes."

"How can you be so sure?" Trowa could see the doubt swimming in her eyes. Serena had let her guard down, if only for a moment, but then she was right back to putting up the wall she surrounded herself with.

Trowa may not have known her for years, but in the short amount of time they knew each other he was able to pick up quickly on a thing or two. Serena may have been opening up more to him but she still kept a lot of things to herself. Always guarded when it came to certain things. He never pushed her on those topics knowing it could push her away from _him_. He was also just as guarded, but when he was with her those walls of his were slowly starting to crumble with every look she gave him. Something about her was different than anyone he had ever met, and regardless of whatever the outcome may be, Trowa knew without a doubt that he wanted to make this work. He knew he couldn't just walk away even if she had said no. He needed to know. Needed to find out why he felt such a strong connection to her and why she was the first person to ever make him feel this way.

"Because I believe in what this could be." Trowa saw her guard come completely up. Her eyes had changed from a softened beep blue to the hard steel blue. "Don't do that..."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't block me out because you're unsure." Trowa frowned slightly.

"I have my doubts."

"And you're allowed to have those feelings." Serena sighed as she turned her head away from him.

"I don't know how to be in a real relationship. I don't know what goes into making one "work'" She said turning back to him.

"A relationship takes two people willing to work together. Serena it won't be easy at times but you can't just shut down. You need to be honest with me. Though I don't think that'll be a problem for you." Trowa's lips curled up at her questioning look. "You like to be very straightforward about _some_ things."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Sex and a relationship are two different things." Serena frowned before pulling away from him. "I don't associate the two. It's just easier for me."

As much as her words stung Trowa understood. He had been in her shoes more than once on the subject. "I understand that, and I appreciate your honesty." Serena's brow lifted. "That's all I want from you is to be honest. From there we can work on whatever issues you have or if you're unsure about how you're feeling. I'll help you."

"You're too trusting, Barton."

Trowa laughed. "With you, yes." Smiling he reached out to pull her back into an embrace. Trowa felt Serena rest her head against his chest. "Just give this a chance." They stood together for a few moments before Serena's voice broke through the comfortable silence.

"I need to go…" Serena whispered as she pulled away from him. Leaning in Trowa kissed her one last time.

"I'll bring you to Une's." He said pulling away from her.

* * *

Serena had been sitting in a chair opposite Une for the last few minutes. Une was still on the phone with the President and Serena was starting to wonder why Une had allowed her secretary to let her in the first place. Though it could've been because the poor girl was freaking out.

The moment Trowa and her had stepped off the elevator and made their over to where the girl was sitting, the girl had gone completely pale. Serena had glanced at the name tag once they got close enough.

Felicia Willington.

Serena guessed she was around the same age as she was. Though she was stumbling over her words as she spoke to Trowa. Serena had watched the girl's face as Trowa placed his hand on her back when he asked her to sit for a moment. Felicia had frowned before pulling herself together when Trowa had turned back to address her. Serena had simply walked away. She wasn't interested in what they were talking about.

Insteading of sitting she had walked around the open space looking at various plants and pictures hanging on the walls. Not even a minute later Trowa was standing next to her. Telling her she was to go straight into Une's office and that he'd wait for her.

So now here she sat. Staring at anything that was within her line of sight. She was half tempted to get up and just walk around but thought better of it. It would've been impolite of her to do so. Serena cursed to herself. She was sitting straight, her legs bent and leaning to the side before she changed her posture. Leaning back in the chair she crossed her arms over her chest. Closing her eyes she tried to rid herself of the - at this point - useless posture. She didn't need to be formal here.

"Alright, thank you sir. Have a good day." Une hung up her desk phone before turning back to face Serena. Her face held a hint of irritation to it. "I apologize for taking so long. I'm sure you heard I was speaking with the President." Une noticed the immediate change. Serena had opened her eyes, her face softening. Slightly.

"It's alright. What did you need to speak to me about?" Une wanted to laugh. For a fleeting moment she looked just like Heero when she spoke before she relaxed her face further.

"We have a few things to discuss. I'd like to start with the special project you've been working on."

"What about it?" Serena lifted a brow. She thought they were on the same page.

"Have you completed the blueprints for both the Mobile Suits and Gundam?" Une's face was a complete mask. Serena wondered why Une wanted them detailed so much. Not like they could take them out using a .45 caliber gun.

"I have."

Une nodded her head. "Good. I would like you to send them to me. I want to go over them before the meeting."

"Why?" Serena saw Une's face harden. "You do realize that you can't just destroy them without your own Mobile Suits or similar weaponry. My Gundam, if someone was foolish enough to finish and pilot would be able to destroy anything in it's path."

Une laughed this time. "Yes Serena I am aware of that, and I know that you know that I once did pilot Mobile Suits. Even Heero's first Gundam." Une tried to relax herself, maybe she'd get Serena to be more on board with her idea if she came off differently to her. "Serena, we need the blueprints because you're the only who knows how they function and what their capabilities are."

"Yes, we discussed this already."

"Yes we did." Une nodded her head. "But there's something else I need from you." Serena didn't like the feeling she was getting. "If we were able to locate the Gundam would you be able to use it to stop the Mobile Suits if ROE were to use them to attack the Earth or Colonies?"

Serena cringed inward. She could… if she reprogramed the ZERO system. "Yes, but that's a very big _if_. We don't even know if the Gundam is completed and if the suit is finished getting to it won't be easy. As far as the MS's last I knew there was a total of two-hundred."

"What?" Une's face paled. Serena swore she told her.

"I thought I informed you of this. Not all the suits are piloted by soldiers. There's a good number that are Mobile Dolls." Une tried to jog her brain. There's a possibility that Serena did tell her.

Pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright, regardless I know now." Une knew that was too big of a number for just one person to handle. "We have the Aventinus that can assist."

"The Aventinus only has enough firepower to take out a quarter of those suits. I can always hack into the MD's system and deactivate them." Une snapped her head up. The look in Serena's eyes screamed determination. "The MD's are based off my training and simulation exercises. They fight the same way I do. Even if I weren't able to fully deactivate all of them I could handle them."

"How do you know about the Aventinus?"

Serena's lips curled up. "I know a lot more than you think I do. But what I can tell you is even with the ship's onboard weapons it won't be enough to take out two-hundred suits on its own." Une hated to admit that Serena had a valid point. What was worse was that Serena knew this information.

"Can you locate the Gundam then?" Une knew if they had the Gundam, Preventers would have an upper hand. It was just a matter of finding it and bring it to Earth.

"Wufei gave me a list of locations that were left on the data we collected from the base in Russia. He believes I can find the locations of where ROE is hiding."

"I want you to work on that." Serena nodded her head. "There's also one more thing I need from you. We need to plan on how you'd like to proceed with the arrests. I want you to be fully apart of this even if you can't be out in the field. You'll need to go over every report. It'll be too easy for any one of these people to lie. We can't be running around with false leads. They may say something that might help trigger something within you."

"I'm not sure I follow. I don't mind going over the reports but as far as what they may say," Serena shook her head. "There's only one person whom I want brought here. The rest interview and gather as much information as possible. But… Christopher Edman. I want him brought here."

"He wasn't on the list you've provided."

"He was the last one I found. I haven't sent in that report yet. But I want him brought here." Serena's eyes darkened. "I want to personally interrogate him. He's the best chance we have of finding out any information."

"You know him personally?" Une knew the answer even before she asked.

"Yes."

"I'll think about it."

"There's nothing to think about. He won't tell you a damn thing. You're better off letting me handle him. Edman worked closely with me. He knew just as much about the Gundam and what the leaders were doing." Serena's lips curled up. "He was their go to for keeping tabs on me. He may not think that I knew, but I did."

Une leaned back in her chair. Serena was starting to make a convincing argument. "What else can you tell me about him?"

"He recently joined Preventers." Serena's smirk widened. A hint of excitement shone in her eyes. "Three months ago." The moment the information left her mouth, Serena knew she had won her case. Une kept her eyes on her for a few minutes before responding.

"I'll make sure he's brought here. But," Une sat up straighter, leaning her forearms on her desk. "You will abide by my rules."

"No deal." Serena watched as Une's eyes went wide before narrowing. "I want permission to interrogate with no restraints." Serena curled up her lips as she leaned forward. Lowering her voice. "I won't kill him, but I want permission to use force when necessary."

"Serena I can't just allow that. We have rules and regulations."

"Which you've ignored since I've been here. Edman is mine. If you want answers let me handle him." Une frowned. Serena knew how to work the system and she was right. She had allowed the rules to be thrown out the window in Serena's case. Hell she was breaking every rule there was. Especially if they obtained her Gundam.

"You will be fully monitored and if at any time, and I mean that Lowell, if you push the limits I will have you removed from the room. And I won't allow you to go into the room right away. I'll have Heero or Wufei go in first. See what he's willing to say. Do you understand?"

Serena's lips curled up again. "Send Heero in first. It'll be icing on the cake when I walk through the door."

"He knows about Heero and you?" Serena nodded her head. Une thought about it for a moment. "We'll discuss it when the time comes. I've agreed to this much for one day but we do need to discuss how we should proceed with the rest of the arrests."

"I thought we agreed on arresting everyone all at once. It makes the most sense. If word got out, which it still might, we need the upper hand in gathering all of them."

"Yes, but I want to know who we should start with. The ones you feel might run first."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "I don't know all of them personally, not the mention there's a chance I missed some. I was going solely based on facial recognition before I found a pattern. I feel the best plan of attack is to plan to arrest all of them at once. It leaves less room for error. The only question is who can _you_ trust to handle this."

"I have people who work for this agency that I can trust. I can't risk sending anyone from here. Heero is too busy with Relena's security. Trowa is your…" Une paused.

"Babysitter? Yeah I'm still well aware of that. I do agree that Heero needs to stay here. It's too much of a risk sending him out and that could potentially lead to another attack on Relena's life if word were to get out that he was gone for an extended period of time. What about Duo and Wufei? Could we send them to a few locations?" Une shook her head.

"Unfortunately we can't. I need them here. But I do have people I can count on. I'll draw up a plan and send it to you later. If you agree we'll start right away with preparations. I want this done and over with as fast as possible."

"Agreed." Serena said.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
** **Coffee Doesn't Fix Everything**

Trowa had been waiting in the lounge area of Une's office. Serena and Une had been talking for some time now and he was wondering if he should've returned to his office and waited till Serena called him to come get her. Though knowing her, Serena would've just walked back down to his office on her own anyway.

Felicia had been talking to him for a while and if he were to be honest he got the distinct impression she was jealous of Serena. Especially when they had first arrived. Felicia had gone from blushing and stumbling over her words to simply put it, angry before switching back to talking to him sweetly. Trowa had a feeling Serena had caught onto it, but she had seemed uninterested in all of it.

His suspicions were confirmed when Felicia asked about Serena. "So… who is she?"

"She's no one important."

"You're a bad liar. I'm not gonna lie, she looks a lot liked Agent Yuy and that you two seem pretty close."

Trowa frowned at her. "I was just escorting her to Une's office. She had a meeting with her. That's all."

"Mh-hm. Sure. So who is she?"

"No one." Trowa repeated. Felicia had started bat her long lashes at him and Trowa wanted to sigh out loud. Not that he didn't mind flirting with someone but Felicia had always been a little over the top. And frankly, she wasn't his type.

It wasn't that she wasn't good looking. Long light brown hair and hazel eyes. But something about her didn't appease him. Trowa's thoughts shifted gears as he thought about Serena. She had been aggressive with her flirting and still was. She knew what to say and how to say it. Serena knew how to make herself even more desirable. From the way she'd look at him to the way she'd moved her body. Unlike Felicia.

"Are you busy this Friday night?" Felicia's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were busy this Friday night?" Felicia frowned. Trowa had a far away look to his eyes. Like he wasn't even interested in their conversation.

"Why?"

"I wanted to see if you'd like to go out for drinks. Then after we could head back to either my place or yours. Doesn't matter to me." She pressed her lips together in what Trowa thought was a poor attempt to persuade him.

"I have plans already."

"Oh. What about Saturday then? I'm free that night as well."

Trowa frowned. He didn't want to be mean to her but he simply wasn't interested and had never been. Not to mention he already had someone whom he would no doubt be spending all of Friday night and most of Saturday in bed with. "I have to work Saturday night."

"Oh, I forgot about the Charity Ball. What about after? I could stop the hotel and we could go from there to a bar or grab a late dinner." She winked at him.

"What Charity Ball?" Trowa and Felicia snapped their heads to the sound of a new voice entering their conversation.

"Serena?" Trowa said standing straight. "You're all done with your meeting?"

Serena catch sight of Felicia's frown. She had heard some of the conversation. "Yes."

"Then I'll walk you out. I'm assuming you're leaving now?" Serena nodded her head. Stepping away from Felicia's desk Trowa placed a hand on Serena's lower back. "Alright then let's go." He looked back up to Felicia. "Have a good day."

"But Trowa!" Felicia said standing up. "What about my offer for drinks?"

Serena lifted her brow before she chuckled. Trowa turned his head to look at her. "He's busy. Maybe next time." Serena said before she pulled away from him. Heading towards the elevator. "Coming Barton?" She threw over her shoulder.

Trowa stared at her dumbfounded before a small smiled creeped onto his lips. "Sorry Felicia but I need to go." Trowa didn't bother to look back as he walked to where Serena was waiting for him. Felicia huffed before sitting back down in her chair, watching the pair leave. Whoever this Serena girl was she didn't like her.

* * *

"Are you seriously!?" Relena practically yelled at him. Heero cringed. They were fine up till they got back to HQ. "You could've just called her! Heero this is ridiculous! There's no reason to be spying on her!"

They weren't spying. More of… just checking to make sure. "She hasn't called me to let me know she left Une's office." Relena rolled her eyes before slumping back in her seat.

"Heero… Serena is probably still with Une. Trowa's bike is still here and one of these SUV's is his as well." Relena gestured around. They all looked the same to her. "You can't freak out over every little thing."

"That's easy for you to say." Heero grumbled as he scanned the parking lot.

"What was that?" Relena turned her head to him. Giving him _that look_.

"Nothing." Heero said flatly. He could feel Relena burning holes in the back of his head as he looked to his left. Best to not make eye contact right now.

"Heero, I think you're starting to go overboard. Serena doesn't need a babysitter nor does she need to be watched to the point of spying on her in the fucking Preventers parking lot!" Heero snapped his head back around. A devilish smile on Relena's lips. Rarely did she swear and whenever she did it was usually to gain his full and utter attention. "Really, this is pushing it. Why don't you just call her? "

"Don't need to." Heero had caught sight of Serena and Trowa walking. They had just left the building and were now making their way to Trowa's bike.

* * *

"So you have a thing for secretaries?" Serena's smirked widen as they walked.

"No, and you're starting to sound more like Maxwell." Serena shot him a look before smiling.

"I have plenty more up my sleeve, Barton."

Trowa saw the change in her the second they got to his bike. Her face had hardened and he had a feeling he knew what was coming. "You need to tell me about this charity ball." Serena said.

"What do you want to know about it?"

"Everything. Why wasn't I informed about it?"

"Serena… I…" Serena held up her hand.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just concerned about a possible security risk. If this is a large event, which it probably is, you need to make sure the security is airtight and personally I don't think that can be done right now. The only thing I see that would make this better is if the event was canceled."

"I understand that but the event can't just be canceled. The President already agreed to keep it scheduled as planned."

"You're joking right?" Serena's brow raised in question. Trowa only shook his head.

"I'm not."

"Where is being held?"

"The hotel near the Senate. It's large enough to accommodate all the guest who will be attending and staying the weekend. It was booked in advance and no other guest will be allowed to stay there."

"It's at a fucking hotel!?" Serena's eyes had gone wide as she leaned in towards him. "Are you fucking kidding me!? Who's fucking brilliant idea was that!?" Serena shook her head. "That's probably the worst place to hold an event like this..." Serena had trailed off grumbling something in Japanese under her breath.

Trowa just stared at her. He had never seen her completely appalled by something before, and he wasn't sure what to honestly say to her in that moment. Though part of him was finding this side of her appealing. Something about the way she stood and was speaking set off an urge to grab her and kiss her soundlessly.

* * *

"What are they talking about?" Relena asked.

"I don't know." Heero gritted his teeth. They way Serena and Trowa were standing he wasn't able to read their lips. "What the hell!?"

Relena turned to look at Heero. His eye was starting to twitch. Relena bit her lip. It wasn't a good sign. Turning back around, she saw Trowa holding Serena's shoulders before Serena took one of his hands leading him around a parked car and disappearing into the garage more. Relena heard a string of curses coming from Heero. "Heero maybe they're just going back inside."

"Yeah right." Heero snorted. He was about to open his door to get out and go look for them when a knock came on his window. Whirling his head around he came face to face with an angry set of Prussian blue eyes. Slowly he lowered the window.

"Next time don't hide in plain sight." Serena said to him. A scowl on her face. Heero looked over her head to see Trowa standing behind her. Trowa only shrugged his shoulder before turning his body to face away.

"You didn't call me." Heero growled. He may have been caught but he wasn't going to admit it. Especially to her.

"I literally just got done in Une's office. I was going to call when I was damn ready to."

"What!? I told you to call me the _minute_ you left her office!" Heero's voice rose.

"I'm no longer under house arrest." Serena's lips curled up as Heero's face went from angered to shocked then back to the deep scowl.

"What do you mean." Heero had a bad feeling about what Serena was about to say next.

"I've earned some free time. That and I do not have to report in every hour anymore. I just need to inform someone of where I am and keep the GPS on my phone at all times."

Heero wanted to say something, anything. He was so shelled shocked that when Relena opened her door and hopped out of his car he wasn't able to stop her. "Relena! What are you doing!?"

Relena walked around the front of the car to stand next to Serena. "I would like for Serena to drive me back to my office."

"What!?" Relena looked between Heero and Serena. Heero had a deep frown on his face while Serena had an bewildered expression on hers.

"For the next twenty minutes Serena is now my bodyguard." Relena lifted her chin before turning to fully face Serena. "I am ready to leave whenever you are."

"You're not going with her." Heero said in a low, deep voice as he got out of the car.

"As far as I see it I am. She's just as qualified as you are." Relena glared at Heero. "I trust her with my life."

Heero angled himself to face Serena. "If anything happens to her I will personally see to it that…"

"Heero!" Relena yelled.

Heero glanced at her before returning his gaze to Serena. "Straight to ESUN. No stops. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah." Was all Serena said.

"Heero, please be so kind as to give Serena your gun." Relena said while folding her arms over her chest.

"What!? I'm drawing the line. I'm not handing over my gun."

Relena tightened her eyes. "And you're going to allow Serena to escort me _unarmed_? What happened to protocol?" Her brow rising. Daring him to challenge her. Heero grumbled before he moved his jacket to the side. Unholstering his gun he handed it over to Serena.

"I want this back the second we get to Relena's office." Serena took the gun from his outstretched hand. Checking to make sure there was a bullet already in the chamber before checking the magazine. Once satisfied Serena placed the gun behind her back.

"Here." Trowa said from behind her. "You're going to need my car." Exchanging keys Serena nodded her head as she moved to stand next to Relena.

"Ready?"

"Yes." Relena smiled brightly at her. Serena moved her hand to the small of her back as she started to guide her towards another black SUV. "How do you know this is Trowa's?" Relena asked with a side long glance. Serena looked the spitting image of Heero as they walked. Her eyes darting around.

"License plate." Even down to her answer was so Heero. Relena rolled her eyes playfully. "Why did you do that?" Relena noticed that Serena had turned her head to look at her.

"I just find it funny how much you're like Heero." Serena frowned as she unlocked the car before opening Relena's door.

"You know we're different right?"

Relena waved a hand at her. "I'm very aware that you two are different. But your mannerisms are the same." Relena waited till Serena was in the driver's seat before she continued. "I've noticed you do some of the same things he does." Serena eyed her as she started the vehicle.

"So we do." Serena said before she pulled out of the parking space. Heading towards the exit of the parking garage.

* * *

Heero eye'd Trowa as they watched Relena and Serena leave. Trowa wasn't fazed by the glare Heero was sending his way. "Serena isn't some criminal, Heero. Relena will be just fine with her."

"It doesn't mean I have to agree to like this."

Trowa chuckled as he leaned against Heero's SUV. "No, but you shouldn't worry. Serena takes Relena's safety to heart as much as you do."

"And how do you know this?" Heero's brow lifted ever so slightly.

"She's told me and it's obvious by the she acts." Trowa saw the doubt written clearly on Heero's face. "You also know. You're just not willing to admit it. I know you two have talked and I know at least one of those conversations was about Relena."

Heero glanced away looking out over the garage. Serena and him had talked… more than once about Relena's safety. In fact they had spoken about a number of things as well. Not just her going through personnel files, but also down to the fact Serena had planned his anniversary dinner. Which he had agreed not to thank her for. Not after this morning. Heero was starting to become frustrated all over again. Everyone else around him seemed to trust Serena without even batting an eye, no second thought as to why they shouldn't. But something nagged at him.

The voice in his head reminded him who she really was. Serena was him, but with different intentions.

"Why don't you stop and grab some java for you and Relena. I'm sure that'll help defuse the situation a little. Not to mention the "girl time" she's having with Serena will have her smiling again." Trowa said.

Heero wanted to roll his eyes. "Already tried that." Trowa lifted a brow as a smile crept onto his face. "It worked up till we got back here. Coffee doesn't solve everything."

"Then maybe some flowers. Woman love receiving flowers from this significant others."

Heero shook his head.

"I don't have time to stop. I should go before I make Relena have to wait for me." Heero cursed to himself. "I swear if Serena brings her inside all hell will break loose."

"I don't think you have to worry. The Capital building and HQ are two very different places. Serena knows she can get away with walking around here. But ESUN… not so much. I wouldn't worry, but I do agree you should go."

Heero had opened the door to his SUV before he stopped to look at Trowa. "Barton, do you know how Serena got into the building in the first place?"

Trowa uncrossed his arms. The thought never crossed his mind till Heero said something. "To be honest,no."

"Fuck!" Heero said. "I guarantee you she used the retinal scan to access the door." Trowa only laughed. Heero only sent him another glare which did nothing to ease the situation.

"So we now know your eyes are exactly the same." Trowa said as he calmed himself.

Heero grumbled to himself. "Probably was done on purpose for this very reason." Heero paused thinking it over. If him and Serena's eyes were exactly the same, then she would've been able to access anything.

"Heero, I doubt she's used that power to her advantage. This is the first time she's left the apartment."

"Look into it for me." Heero said climbing into his vehicle. "I need to go." Shutting the door Heero was about to start the engine when Trowa leaned on the door frame.

"One last thing." Trowa smirked, "don't always listen to that voice in your head. Serena isn't a bad person and I think you're not letting yourself see that because of _who_ she is. Your girlfriend trusts her, so should you." Trowa pulled himself away from the door before heading back to the door that would lead him back inside HQ.

Heero muttered something under his breath as he started the engine. Pulling out of the garage he knew he had to change something. Was it because Serena _was_ him and was the reason everyone got along with her? No, they were different. They were two separate people. So why it that Serena could become so trusting so fast when no one really knew her? Hell, he didn't even know her.

When Heero reached a red light he dropped his hands from the wheel. What if this was all apart of her plan? What if this was all apart of J's plan for something bigger? When the light turned green Heero hit the gas peddle. He knew he needed to get to Relena's office and fast. Him and Serena were going to have a conversation. Regardless of what anyone else said, Heero needed to know if Serena was truly this trustworthy.

* * *

 _A/N You know Heero might really be on to something. Don't doubt his judgment! Or he could be completely wrong. I mean c'mon, Serena isn't that bad right? But it is true, everyone does seem to really like her. Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next chapter. And honestly, what kind of "girl talk" could be happening on the ride to Relena's office? Or is that going to be saved for a later chapter?_

 _Have a great day everyone and a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three  
** **Change of Plans**

For the first few minutes the car ride to her office had been quiet. Serena hadn't spoken a word nor had she even glanced her way. Only a few times had Relena caught Serena checking her mirrors. No doubt making sure no one was following them, unless it was Heero. To simply put it, the car ride was reminding her a lot of how her and Heero's usually were. Which was why she wanted to go with Serena in the first place. She was hoping the two of them would at least talk. Sighing, Relena continued to look out the passenger side window.

"Everything okay?" Serena asked.

Relena swung her head around. "Yes, why?" Had she sighed out loud?

"You sighed." Serena said as she glanced at her. "Something's bothering you." Relena wanted to laugh and sigh again all at the same time.

"Well yes… something is bothering me." Relena ventured slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Serena asked. The tone of her voice sounded as though she was questioning her own question.

"It's just Heero. He's paranoid about everything."

"He has a right to be." Serena said flatly. Relena only frowned. Why should she have expected anything different?

"I understand some of the reasons but when it comes to you he's just going overboard." Relena caught the smallest tightening of Serena's eyes.

"While I don't appreciate it, I would do the same if I was in his shoes." Relena's jaw dropped as Serena continued. "I wouldn't trust me either."

"You two are way too much alike." Relena laughed after a moment. "Heero's enough for me to handle but you on top of that," Relena shook her head. "I'd never be let out of the house." They stopped at a red light. Serena glanced over with a blank look on her face.

"I'm not that bad." Relena thought she might die. Die of laughter. "What's so funny?" Serena asked before turning her attention back to the road ahead.

"I'm sorry. And you're right, you're not that bad. You'd probably let me go out alone."

"I don't know about that. Depends on how good your defense skills are." Relena rolled her eyes in good nature.

"Well then we'll have to work on that." Relena chuckled when Serena sent her a questioning look. She only waved a hand at her. "Don't worry, why don't we change the topic? I was wondering what you were doing next Friday night?"

"Friday night?"

"Yes."

"Nothing, I'll probably be working on reports. Why?" It wasn't a complete lie, though Serena knew her night was most likely going to be spent doing _other_ things.

Relena quirked a brow at Serena as she turned more in her seat to better face her. "Sounds like a very _exciting_ evening."

"Someone has to do it." Serena shrugged. The sarcasm didn't go unnoticed.

"Then why don't you and Trowa come over for dinner. I'll invite Duo and Hilde as well since Hilde wants to meet you." Serena cringed on the inside. She wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

"Dinner?"

"Mm-hm, we'll have a little get together. I'm only working a half day since mostly everyone is taking it off. The Charity Ball is the following evening."

Serena mumbled something before glancing at Relena. She knew she needed to address something with her. "I don't think Heero would appreciate that."

"Nonsense, he'll get over it. Plus the guys can have some guy time and us girl can just sit around and drink some wine. It'll be nice especially before I need to " _work my magic,"_ as Duo calls it, the following night at the Ball."

"Speaking of that…"

"Don't you start." Serena glanced at her. "Serena I really do like you but please, please for just a day don't go into that _mode_. I'm sure Heero will handle everything and worse case just talk Une. I'm sure she'll take whatever advice you have for security into consideration." Relena cut her off. Giving Serena a look that meant she wasn't about to back down.

"Relena, you do understand the risk of continuing on with this event?"

"Yes and I trust Preventers will do their jobs. I'm not worried."

"You should be."Serena said as Relena frowned.

"I do worry, Serena. But I can't stop everything when a threat is sent my way. It's my job to keep things moving forward. I need to stay strong when others have doubt."

"That's why the people rely on you. You're their strength in times of weakness. Edwards knows that and that's why you're too valuable of an asset to lose. But you can't rely on Heero and the others to protect you. You need to protect yourself." Serena said as she parked their vehicle. They had reached the ESUN building.

"I know and I understand. You've reminded me a few times now."

"It's for your own good." Serena said as she scanned the parking garage. "Heero won't be here for a little."

"Huh?" Relena looked out the windshield.

"He wasn't following behind us. I don't think it'll be long but we'll have to wait." Relena's smiled when Serena turned her head back to face her.

"So, how about next Friday night?"

* * *

 _Somewhere in space._

"What do you mean you can't _find_ her!?" A male bellowed. A deep scowl on his clean shaven face as he leaned forward in his chair. His brown eyes bore into the screen.

"I'm sorry but we've been unable to locate her."

"Then you aren't trying hard enough. Why weren't you able to locate her using the transponder?"

"It was shut off."

"Gavin, I hand her over to you for safe keeping and now you're telling me you can't even find her!? Maybe you should've kept a better eye on her! I want her found and brought back to me!" The male seethed.

"I understand sir, but it's not just her that has gone missing. We are unable to locate the Doctor as well. They both left over a month ago. The team that was with them were all found dead when we went to check on her progress with the Gundam."

"It seems J has had a change of heart?" The man sat back in his chair. "If the transponder was turned off chances were it was by J himself. Delta wouldn't have been able to have access to that."

"Sir what should we do then?" Gavin asked.

"Keep looking for her."

"Where sir?"

"Have you tried Earth?"

"Earth?" Gavin echoched.

"Yes. There's a possibly that's where she's gone."

"Why do you believe that, sir?"

"I believe the Charity Ball is still under way. It's possible she is still completing her mission even without contact from us."

"How can you be so sure? The details about the mission were never presented to her."

"You never gave her the orders!? She was supposed to attend and gain closer access to Darlian! It was going to be our first strike against the ESUN! Her guard detail needed to be eliminated that night, thus Delta being able to take Darlian with her when all the chaos broke out!"

"I understand that but Gates should be the one whom you should be scolding, sir. He was the one who was supposed to bring her to Earth with his son."

"And it was your job to brief her on the mission! I will speak with Gates personally after this. Don't make me remind you of what your job is. You want to be one of the leaders so badly. Your job was supposed to make sure Delta was ready for when we make our move. All details of the mission were to be given to her! This is inexcusable and you better correct your mistake before you find yourself on the receiving end of a firing squad."

"Sir." Gavin said. "I won't fail you, Edwards. I will retrieve Delta and we will go on with our plans."

"You better. I want her back." Edwards said before disconnecting the line.

Gavin sat back in his chair staring at the blank screen to his left. Senator Gates to the right. "You heard all that right?"

"Yes. Edwards has every right to be angry. We've lost the one thing we need to complete our takeover of ESUN." Gates said.

"We could do it without her. But the only problem is if Delta is herself, she could potentially stop us. We need to find her no matter what."

"I agree. Michael and I are still attending the Charity Ball. We'll keep an eye out for her. There's a chance she could be there."

"I doubt it. The place will be crawling with Preventers and chances are Heero Yuy will be there with Darlian. Delta wouldn't risk being caught there." Gavin waved a hand at Gates. "But what we could do is send some people to Brussels. If she is on Earth she might be sticking close to our target."

"It wouldn't hurt. At this point we can't do anything. Making a scene at the Ball will only put ourselves out there before we need to be known. Personally, I'd rather push our original date back. Try and retrieve Delta first before we move in without her." Gates said lacing his fingers together.

"I'll do that. Just keep your end of the deal. Contact me if you find anything or if either you or Michael see her. Do not approach her. If she did run away she might do something foolish."

"No need to worry, Gavin. And I will. Keep me posted as well." Gates smiled before the connection was disconnected. Gavin sat back once again. They needed a new plan and with Edwards breathing down their backs they needed to move fast. If he was to overthrow Edwards he knew he needed Delta to complete the task.

"Nick?" Gavin asked.

"Sir!"

"I want you to put together a team and send them to Earth. Go find her and bring her back, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" A young soldier with blond hair and light green eyes sluted before turning on his heel, leaving the room.

* * *

 _A/N  
_ _There will only be one chapter this week and I know it's short. I need to get far enough ahead where posting weekly wont be effected. So please forgive me for this one chapter week! Hopefully I can get everything in place and be able to roll out the double chapters, because I do enjoy doing that ;)._ _  
_

 _So Edwards is real and alive? Well Serena you have some explaining to do. You have a lot of explaining to do actually! It seems ROE is looking for you, uh oh! Haha. Lets hope nothing bad is going to happen but who knows!? I think its time we start learning more about some of these key players of ROE. Or better yet, maybe Serena should tell us about them. I'm sure she has_ plenty _to say!_

 _I hope you all have a great Friday and a great weekend!_

 _-MM_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four  
** **Don't Over Think Things**

Heero had only been five minutes behind Relena and Serena. When he pulled into the parking lot he saw their vehicle. An empty space next to them. Relena was still inside while Serena was stepping out making her way to the passenger side as he pulled into the space next to them. Getting out of his vehicle he made his way over to them. Serena helping Relena out when he he rounded the the front of their SUV.

"Thank you, Serena." Relena said as Serena shut the door.

"Everything fine?" Heero asked gruffly.

"I made it in one piece didn't I?" Relena laughed lightly as she walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek. "Everythings fine we were just waiting for you." Heero's eyes darted to Serena who was smirking at him as she leaned against the hood. His gun in her hand.

"Want this back?" She asked dangling it from her finger. Heero grunted something as he moved to take it from her outstretched hand. Her eyes holding a glint to them.

"Play nice you two." Relena giggled from behind her hand as they both looked at her.

"Always." Serena said smirking again when Heero sent her one of his glares. "I'll leave you two alone then."

"Where are you going?" Heero asked sharply.

"To the store then back to the apartment I guess." Serena shrugged. "Haven't had any real freedom in a while. Don't really know what else to do."

"You better check in." Heero's scowl growing as Serena rolled her eyes.

"Sure thing." She said before pushing herself off the hood.

"I mean it." Heero said grabbing her arm. "I don't know what kind of shit you pulled in Une's office but you better check in with me, regardless of your new rules."

"Fine." Serena held his eyes for a moment before he released her arm. "Have a good day, Relena." Serena said making her way to the driver side before getting in. Heero and Relena watching as she drove off before they headed inside and up to Relena's office for the rest of the day.

* * *

For a Friday Heero had to admit his day was going pretty good. At least from the afternoon on. He had gotten a good amount of work done. Relena had been in a good mood and she had been productive with her work as well. Serena had even checked in and had continued to check in with him. He had tracked where she gone and she had been honest about going to the store then then straight back to Trowa's. Over all Heero couldn't complain especially when they left Relena's office just a little after five o'clock.

The drive to back to their house had been good. Relena had talked to him about her plans for the weekend and what she needed to get done the following week before the Charity Ball. She had even gone as far as to listen to him explain the security detail they were working on for the following weekend. That should've been his first clue that something was coming. But being blinded by the fact Relena was being so supportive of his security measures he simply brushed it off.

His second clue as to what Relena might have been planning came at dinner time. While they were eating she had asked him what he might want for food for the following week. Anything special he'd want to have made. Once again he brushed it off thinking nothing of it. His third and finally clue came when they were getting ready for bed when she asked him what he wanted to do the following Friday since she'd only be working a half day.

"Do you have any plans for Friday?" Relena asked as she moved around the bedroom.

"No. Why are you asking?" Heero asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.

Relena had stopped to look at his toned physique. "I thought maybe we could stay in and have a nice dinner." Relena smiled at him when their eyes met.

"Okay…" Heero said as he started unbutton his pants. He swore he only looked down for a moment, but it was enough for her to strike.

"I invited Duo, Hilde, Serena and Trowa over to join us."

Heero's head snapped up. "What!?"

"I invited them over for dinner. Do you have a problem with that?" Relena quirked a brow at him.

"Why Serena?" Heero asked, a little too quickly. Relena's other brow lifting before her face relaxed into her neutral expression.

"It would be wrong to invite Trowa and not Serena." Relena simply said.

"Then don't invite either of them. In fact don't invite any of them." Heero's voice gruff as he finished removing his pants.

"That's not very nice. Everyone's already agreed to come. Plus it'll be nice to have everyone over." Heero only frowned. "Don't give me that look." Relena wagged a finger at him. "You guys can hang out and us girls will do our own thing. It'll be fun."

"Yeah. I see this being a _blast_." Heero deadpanned.

"Now there's the party spirit!" Relena laughed as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It'll be fun. We'll have our friends over and we can relax for a night."

"There's _other_ ways we can relax." Heero smirked when he felt Relena's hand slap his shoulder.

"Heero!" Relena giggled.

"I still don't want them coming over." Heero deadpanned again.

"Well that's too bad. You'll just have to deal with it." Relena kissed him on the cheek before making her way to her side of the bed. "We should get some sleep."

"It's only ten-thirty." Heero frowned as he looked at the time.

"I never said we were _going_ to sleep, Heero." Relena rolled her eyes before her laughter erupted again. Heero's frown had turned into a devilish smile as he crawled across the bed towards her.

* * *

"So Relena wants us to go over to her house for dinner?" Trowa asked from the doorway. They were getting ready to head to bed. He had already changed, choosing to wear just a pair of sweatpants. Serena had pulled up her hair into a ponytail before she began brushing her teeth.

" _Their_ house." Serena smirked from behind her toothbrush.

"That's new. When did it become their house?" Trowa's brow lifting slightly.

Serena finished up before turning to answer him. "When Heero agreed to move in " _for real"_ with her."

"I'm guessing this is recent development in their relationship." Trowa said as he stepped to the side letting Serena out of the bathroom. Her shirt already being pulled over her head as she stepped into her room.

"Seems to be." Serena said making her way to the dresser. Trowa leaning himself against the door frame to her room as he watched her remove the rest of her clothing. "From my understanding she has been trying to get him to live there since she bought the place."

"Yes, she has been." Trowa continued to watch her as she searched through the dresser pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "Why don't you move your things into my room this weekend?"

"What?" Serena spun around to face him.

"You should move your things into my room, or would you rather continue to sleep in separate rooms?" Trowa let a smirk grace his lips. Serena was standing in nothing but her underwear looking at him with wide eyes.

"I don't see the point in that." Serena frowned. "Why would you want me to move my things?"

"To make it easier for you instead of having to come down here to get whatever you need."

"I understand that but your room is your personal space." Serena shook her head. "I don't mind sharing your bed with you, but asking you to move things just to accommodate me isn't necessary."

"I'm offering." Trowa smiled.

"Trowa…" Her frown returning.

"I want to share my room with you. This is your home as much as it is mine." Serena's frown only deepened as she continued to stare at him. "If you're uncomfortable I'll drop the subject." Trowa raised both his hands.

"It's not that." Serena sighed as she threw on her shirt and short before turning slightly to close the dresser drawers.

"Then what is it?"

"It's nothing." Serena moved to stand in front of him. "Let's go to bed." She said smiling up at him.

"Liar." Trowa smirked when she chuckled.

"If you wish for me to share your room, than I shall."

Trowa leaned forward brushing her lips with his. "Then to bed it is." He said as he picked her up, carrying her to his room.

"My, what a gentleman you are." Serena laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Anything for you, my lady." Trowa's lips curled up as he saw her eyes sparkle at him.

"Anything?" Serena's smirk growing. "And here I thought chivalry was dead."

"Not just yet." Trowa kissed her fully on the lips before shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Whenever Heero was with Relena it was always as if he could never get enough. Even over the years that was one aspect of their relationship that had never changed. At least for him. It was something that he had come to realize and once he accepted it he was able to open up a little more to her. Relena had woven herself around him and he couldn't deny the feelings it caused him to have. It something that was uncomparable to anything he had ever experienced. No matter what he was always willing to let her keep weaving herself tighter around his heart. Even as he had her sprawled out beneath him. Her golden locks splashed across the pillows as he attended to her wants and needs. Her light blue eyes shone with such strong emotions they held him captive as he stared into their depths. He simply wanted her. Needed her as much as she need him.

Whatever she wanted, whatever she needed from him he was willing to do. If she asked him to jump, he'd asked her how high? Deep down he had always known this. He would do anything for her and had. Regardless if he expressed those thoughts or feelings in the beginning it didn't matter because she had always known. Somehow.

His fingers gliding over her skin as he pressed kisses to her neck and collarbone. Heero still wondered at times how someone like her would _want_ to be with someone like him. How she could let him touch her in such an intimate way or even touch her at all. She had explained to him that she didn't care what he had done in the past. None of it mattered to her in the end. She accepted him for who he was, even his flaws. Relena would remind him time and time again that his heart was kind and pure. He still didn't fully understand what she saw in him but he had learned to slowly let go of his worries and enjoy the moments they shared together. For he knew that there would never be anyone else like her in the world. There would never be another her.

Heero pulled away, staring down at her. A soft smile on her face, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to take to control her breathing. How could someone as incredible as her love him? Someone like her deserved more, better than him. But yet she didn't want more. She only wanted him.

"You're thinking again." Relena whispered.

"Hm?" Heero blinked.

"I know what you're thinking about." Relena wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back down. "Stop questioning everything. We can't always control how we feel about another person. Sometimes there's such a strong connection to another that it pulls us in. It's supposed to be a mystery or there would never be anything special as to why this happens. I know you still question it, but there's no need to fully understand it."

"Yes there is." Heero pulled back more to look at her better. His bangs falling slightly into his eyes.

"Then how do you feel?" Relena giggled as brushed back his bangs, revealing his wide blue eyes.

"I feel?" Relena nodded her head. Heero frowned as he thought about it. "I feel…" Struggling he shut his mouth. He wished he could just tell her, but his tongue at times was against letting him.

"Okay, lets try this." Relena smiled softly. "You were wondering why I love you correct?" Heero nodded his head. "I love you because of who you are. You're so strong and so sure. I draw strength from you. Guidance. You keep me grounded when I feel like I could float away."

"You do the same for me." Heero confessed.

"I know." Relena said softly. "Just enjoy what we share together, Heero. We don't need to put it into context exactly what it is and I know you sure as hell don't enjoy doing that." Relena laughed lightly.

"I just don't like labeling things." He frowned again.

"I know. Just know that I love you and that's all that matters." Kissing him, Relena moved her hips. "No let's continue." She murmured against his lips.

Heero smirked before he moved himself. Placing his hands on her hips, he steadied himself before easing himself into her. Slowly he began rocking his hips allowing her time to adjust before picking his pace up. The same movements he had always done over the years with her and only her. They had their fair share of exciting and trilling love making, but Heero savored the slower paced love making. Where he could truly appreciate what they were doing and not just trying to rush to meet the end goal. There were plenty of times where they had to rush due to time restrictions or if they ran off for fifteen or so minutes to fool around.

His lips curled up as he thought about the times they had done just that. Sometimes before a meeting or after. The thrill of them sneaking off to indulge in one of life's finer pleasures all before having to return to the real world. There had been a few times where Relena had spent the better part of a meeting looking at him with the look of desire in her eyes. Those were the times they'd run off somewhere or just jump in the back seat of his SUV. Since the windows were tinted to be completely blacked out, no one would ever see them. Even though they kept their relationship a secret it didn't mean they didn't try and find ways to fulfill each other's needs during the work day.

The other times where they'd have sex before a meeting or a trip always left Relena a little frazzled. But to Heero those were the most exciting. He was able to keep his composure while she sometimes struggled to remain on topic with whomever the discussion was with. Relena had told him that they shouldn't do it anymore due to the fact she couldn't even fully concentrate after. He had been quick to point out that even if they didn't she'd still be thinking about it anyway, so why did it matter when they did it?

Heero's thoughts were brought back to the present as Relena's nails dug into his thighs. He had picked up his pace, thrusting himself harder into her. He had become so consumed with remembering past experiences he had forgotten that he was supposed to be taking it slow. Though from the sounds Relena was making and the way her back was arching into him, he knew her release was coming, and soon.

Adjusting her legs he continued to quicken his pace. Her cries coming louder with each rock of his hips. Heero gasped as felt her close in around him, her nails digging themselves into his skin as her release washed over her. Within moments he his own release came. no longer being able to hold back. Collapsing forward he braced himself with his hands. His breath ragged as he stared down at her. Her eyes fluttering open as her lips turned up into a soft smile. She always looked beautiful to him like this and this time it was no different.

Leaning down Heero pressed his lips fully to hers. Maybe Relena was right and that he didn't need to over think some things, for he knew he was one of the lucky ones. He had survived the wars and he had found someone along the way who wished to share their life, body and soul with him. Maybe he should just enjoy what they had and try not make complete sense of it. Though he'd be lying to her and himself if he said that he'd never question it again.

Laying down next to her, he pulled her against his chest. He could already feel his body relaxing as Relena curled herself up next to me. She had whispered her goodnights to him, kissing him before she tucked her head into his shoulder. Heero stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before he let his eyes close shut. Sleep coming over him as he allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her next to him. One he would enjoy forever.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Saturday!_

 _I know I'm a little behind and I do apologize for that. Been a bit busy! This chapter was slightly longer than last weeks (correction longer haha) and while it was mostly a Heero and Relena chapter, I think it turned out pretty good. Honestly, Heero waited all week for that damn scene to be finished. Whoops Sorry! Anyway! Next week's chapter will finally be the big meeting! I'm so excited! Drama drama and more drama coming next week... and possibly something else? Oh it'll be good._

 _I don't have much to say, unfortunately it will only be one chapter this week. :( I know I'm sad too, but I do have a little something up my sleeve so if you can just hold out for another day or so, I hope it makes up for my lack of double chapter updates! Ps it's a one-shot you all should enjoy!_

 _I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thank you all for the continued support!_

 _-MM_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five  
Pre-Meeting Jitters**

The weekend had gone uneventful for the most part. Trowa had spent Saturday morning moving things around his room so Serena could move her clothes and other personal items in. While she understood why Trowa wanted her to feel more comfortable with their new living arrangements, she felt anything but. It wasn't her first time living with someone but this was different. Everything about them and what they were doing was different. She had never done anything like this before. The relationship, if she could call it that, wasn't forced on her. She had willingly agreed to it. She had even agreed to sharing his room with him.

Which still made her apprehensive, even when Trowa helped bring things from her room into his. While she didn't have much it was the fact that she was putting her clothes into his dresser, hanging a few dresses she had bought in the closet along with a few pairs of shoes. Reality was setting in and that made her feel unsure about everything. Why was she doing this in the first place?

Trowa had smiled at her once they had finished. His eyes shining with contentment even when she had only offered him a small smile in return. She wasn't sure if her uneasiness was due to the fact she wasn't sure where things were going between them or if she was even going to stick around in the end. It didn't help that Monday's meeting was fast approaching and she knew she needed to make a decision on whether or not to inform him about what the meeting was really about.

Then again, maybe it was a little of everything.

Sunday night Serena felt even more restless. Monday's meeting was looming and she had yet to tell Trowa anything. After dinner she had cleaned up the kitchen and then went to busy herself doing laundry. Trowa must have picked up on her uneasiness as he followed her into the bedroom where she was putting their clothes away.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind?" Trowa asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the door frame to the room. Serena continuing to move between the bed and dresser.

"What do you mean?"

"Something's been bothering you. Yesterday and today you haven't stopped moving around the apartment." Serena stopped next to the bed looking at him. Guilt setting in that she was being reckless with concealing herself.

"Trowa…" She started cautiously, "about tomorrow's meeting…" She trailed off.

"What about it?"

Sighing, Serena gestured to the bed. "You should have a seat." Trowa lifted his brow as he uncrossed his arms. Serena's face was masked as he made his way to the bed. His eyes followed her as she went over to the dresser grabbing his laptop before returning to sit down next to him. Opening the screen, Serena's fingers started moving furiously over the keys.

"You've hacked into my laptop?" Serena nodded her head. Never meeting his eyes.

"I needed to work on something. It needed to be untraceable."

"Serena what do you mean by untraceable?" Serena bit her lip as she turned her head to look at him.

"I told you that I'm not who you think I am."

"What are you trying to say?" Trowa frowned as he watched her face carefully.

"Trowa… I…" Frowning she tried again. "I drew up the blueprints for my Gundam." His eyes went wide as she quickly continued. "Une asked me if I could do it. Along with the blueprints on the Mobile Suits. She's going to be showing them tomorrow at the meeting."

"Serena… I thought there weren't any?" He saw her breath deeply. His heart starting to beat faster.

"I designed my Gundam... J may have built them in the past but I hold the blueprints to all of them. I... I'm also capable of rebuilding them... I..." Serena sighed again. "I recreated Heavyarms."

"You what!?" Trowa said as he sat up straighter. "What do you mean you hold the blueprints?"

"I have them memorized." Shaking her head. "Trowa, I told you I'm not who you think I am."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"This is all new for me. I'm not following orders. I'm free to make my own decisions. Opening up isn't easy for me. That and Une asked me to keep this a secret. She didn't want anyone knowing." Serena turned away, biting her lip. A habit he had learned was a tell tail sign she was feeling either unsure about something or regretful.

"When?" Trowa asked, bring her attention back to him.

"My first night here... when you went to take a shower I called her. She knew that I didn't tell her the whole truth. We agreed to keep it quiet. Until now." She closed her eyes. "Everything will be explained tomorrow." The minutes passed by without a word from Trowa. Slowly she opened her eyes. He was staring right at her.

"You recreated Heavyarms?" Serena nodded her head. His face was masked but his voice held a hint of curiosity.

"I can show you." Serena turned to the laptop. Hitting a few keys she brought up a folder. Opening it she handed the laptop over to him. "This is the design I came up with."

Trowa looked through all the photos along with the notes on the design. Every detail laid out in front of him. Every little change she made even down to the weapons and why they were changed. After a few minutes Trowa turned to look at her. Her eyes down cast.

"Serena." Uncertainly in her eyes as she brought them up to meet his. "This is incredible."

"What?" Serena's eyes grew wide.

"Your understanding of Heavyarms is impressive." Smiling he turned back to the screen. "These adjustments are perfect for the suit itself. Not to mention for myself. If you had been there for when I did the last upgrade I would've let you do everything you have written here."

"You like my design?"

"Yes." Trowa said smiling at her. "Your calculations on the weight distribution is perfect. And this quick release," Trowa pointed to the mounted guns on the screen. "This would allow me to fight hand to hand if the situation ever arose. Everything if well thought out and compliments the suit for how it was originally designed." Trowa continued to smile as he looked over everything. Trying to memorize every detail. After a few minutes Serena's voice brought him back to the present.

"Do you want to see mine?" Trowa turned his head sharply to her. A small smile on her face.

"I'd love to." Trowa handed the laptop back over to her and before he knew she had pulled up another Gundam. Handing it back he looked down at the screen.

"It looks like Zero." He looked on in confusion. Serena laughing lightly next to him.

"Kind of. Heero had a theory and I put that theory to the test. If he had more time I'm sure he would've been able to accomplish the same." She said as she leaned into his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Trowa looked at her puzzled.

"Click to the next screen." Trowa did as he was told. "See the wings? Heero had adapted them to add more speed and agility to the suit."

"Yes, I remember him doing that."

"I took it a step further. The thrusters are more powerful than they were before. Also you see here." Serena pointed to a section on the screen with some of her notes. "The feather themselves serve more than one purpose. Speed is necessary but also I've enhanced their strength. I can use them to protect myself against missiles better and entering the Earth's atmosphere. But I also added cartridges to them."

"Cartridges?"

"Exploding ones." Serena smiled brightly at him. "I can pretty much bomb anywhere just by flying over."

"So you're like Duo in the never ending quest to blow shit up." Trowa lifted a brow at her.

Serena erupted into laughter. "I've been known to blow up a thing or two." Trowa only shook his head before offering her a smile.

"Clever." He said. "What else can you tell me?" Serena smiled before she dove in.

The two had spent the better part of two hours discussing Serena's design of her own suit along with what she had come up with for everyone else's. Trowa was not only fascinated by her creativity but also her structural mind frame when it came to the Gundam's themselves. Her understanding and view of how a Gundam should perform was one he couldn't questions. Her knowledge had been far greater than his own. She knew something the rest of them didn't. Even her understanding of the ZERO system surpassed his own. She had admitted she had the program installed in hers and had been training with it since day one. But the one thing that hadn't gone unnoticed by him was the pride she had shown for her work and knowledge. It was obvious that she had spent a great of deal learning, whether it was from training or simply for pleasure, she had worked hard to understand the information.

Trowa had moved to lay on one of his arms as Serena closed down the laptop. "I hope you're not mad at me. I didn't go through anything on your hard drive." Serena said.

"I'm not mad." Trowa said.

Serena swung her head around to face him. "You're not?"

"No." Trowa shook his head. "I understand why you did it. I also apprentice you telling me."

"You took it better than I expected." Serena confessed. Trowa laughed as he sat up straight.

"I'm not going to lie I was taken back at first. I wasn't expecting you to tell me you were capable of something like this." Reaching a hand up to her face he rubbed his thumb against her lower lip. "You truly are incredible, Serena."

"That remains to be seen." Serena said.

"I think you are." Leaning down Trowa brushed his lips against her in a gentle kiss. "We should probably go to bed. We do still have to go to the meeting tomorrow."

Serena groaned as she fell backwards onto a pillow. "Don't remind me."

Trowa chuckled as he moved his laptop back to the dresser before making his way back to the bed. "Everything will be fine." He said as he crawled on top of her.

Serena adjusted herself before wrapping her arms around his neck. "We'll find out tomorrow won't we?" The corners of her mouth curling up.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?" A questioning look on his face as he studied her.

"No, other than I can't contain my _excitement_ for tomorrow."

"Excitement can be contagious." Trowa smirked her.

"Oh really now?" Her eyes sparkling up at him as he lowered his head to capture her lips.

* * *

Serena had been quiet again all morning. She had barely even looked at him. Even when they showered she had kept to herself. Any time he tried to engage her in anything she'd simply pull away from him. Trowa had thought after the night before everything was fine. Serena had been content with the fact he wasn't upset with her. It wasn't like it was the first time someone had to keep any kind of information from another. It came with the territory of the job. Une had told her to keep everything a secret but it seemed to be still eating at Serena. And if that wasn't it, he was left to wonder what was distracting her so much.

The whole ride over to HQ had been in complete silence. Serena had stared out the window the entire drive never once turning to look at him. When they arrived Trowa turned into the parking garage before pulling into one of the available spaces. Turning off the engine, he glances over to her, she was looking at him for the first time. Her features were soft but her eyes held him captive. They were questioning, watching his every move. Turning his body he foolishly leaned over the armrest. Their lips were mere inches apart when he felt her hand press against his chest.

"Trowa…"

"What?" He asked grasping her hand as she pulled away. "What's wrongs?" Her eyes were on something behind him.

"Sally's watching us…" Trowa pulled away, snapping his head around. Sally was standing not far away from them. Her hands on her hips with a look of " _you better tell me what's going on,"_ written across her face.

Sally waited patiently till both had made their way over to her. "Want to tell me what that was all about?" Her brow lifted as she looked at them.

"It was nothing." Trowa said calmly.

"Oh? I'm pretty sure it's nothing when two people kiss." She watched as he frowned slightly. "I know what I saw. Whatever is going on I wouldn't let anyone else find out. Or _see."_

"There's nothing going on." Serena face had become a stone mask. "Trowa were late. We need to go." She said before turning on her heel. Trowa's frown only deepened at her words. She had betrayed nothing when she spoke, even though she was covering for them the way she had spoken had him wondering if that was how she felt towards him.

Sally placed her hand on his shoulder. "I won't say anything, but maybe this isn't the best idea. It's a big gamble you're taking."

"Too late." Trowa said as he stepped away from her. Sally saw the pained expression on his face as he caught up to Serena who was waiting by the door for him.

"I think Duo may be onto something." Shaking her head. "I just hope Heero doesn't find out about this or all hell will break loose." Sally said to no one particular.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Friday! Due to some technical difficulties that I will not get into, (cough windows update) I'm a little behind on posting and I had to split this chapter up! Got a little too long and possible a little out of control. (Heero is NOT happy about something! When is he happy? Should probably work on that and make him happier.) But I wanted to get at least one of the two chapters up today! So enjoy! The next chapter "Meeting" will go up this weekend now that I can actually finish editing it on my computer and not on my phone._

 _I hope you all are doing well and enjoying your almost week or possibly weekend at this point!_

 _-MM_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six  
** **Monday Meeting Blues:  
** **Part One**

Once inside Serena walked ahead of him. Trowa wasn't sure if she knew where she was going but slowly he realized she knew which conference room they were heading to. Her pace brisk as they continued down the hallway till they finally reached the room. When Serena opened the door, Trowa glanced around the room noticing that they were the last ones to arrive. Serena made her way to an empty chair between Duo and Heero. Trowa glanced at Serena after he had seated himself between Heero and Wufei. Serena had greeted Duo before turning her attention to Une. She never said a word to Heero who was now glancing sidelong at him. Trowa nodded his head as Heero did the same before he too turned his attention to Une.

"'Bout time you guys made it!" Duo said as he leaned back in his chair. "Now we can finally get this meeting over with."

"Thank you Maxwell for stating the obvious." Une said from behind her laptop. "Thank you Lowell for coming in this morning." Serena gave a curt nod. "We'll be starting shortly."

Trowa kept an eye on Serena as they waited. Duo was talking to her but she seemed uninterested only replying when necessary. Wufei had greeted them both, but had kept to himself since. Trowa started to think that maybe Serena's quietness was due in part to what was about to be discussed. None of them knew other than Une and himself now what Serena had been doing. But there was also a part of him that wondered if there was something else she knew and hadn't shared with him.

Heero had purposely seated himself so Serena and Trowa would be separated. The small room only allowed for a total of six people to be seated. Any more and the rest would have to stand around the the table. Heero could feel someone's eyes on him. Glancing around he saw deep blue eyes looking towards him. Serena's mouth moved but no sound came out as she greeted him. Heero gave a curt nod before turning his full attention to Une who had cleared her throat. The start of their weekly meeting.

"Alright, thank you all for being patient." Une said as she stood to address the group. "As you are all aware I have asked Lowell to be here today. She has been working with us to help gather as much information as possible about ROE along with identifying any members who have worked their way into Preventers. Over the weekend we devised a plan to arrest those members."

"Hey wait a minute…" Duo jumped in. "Wasn't the President supposed to be here? He's the one who wanted to meet Serena and wanted know what the hell was going on with all of this."

"There is no reason for him to be here. I have already briefed him on everything. As far as meeting Serena, I promised him a one on one meeting with her." Une saw the questioning look on Serena's face. "The longer we can keep you hidden the better. The less people that know about you the better."

"Too bad a lot of people know about her." Duo snickered.

Une pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, unfortunately but I'd still like to keep her out of the spot light. If ROE hasn't figured out where she is yet, we can still use that to our advantage. We'll know more once we have everyone arrested. All of you should have a copy of the list that Lowell provided." Une waited till everyone acknowledged her. "Very good. We have agents already working to arrest those members. They will continue to over the next few days. As much as I would have preferred to have them all taken into custody simultaneously, but the coronating of it just wasn't in our favor. All of the members we believe to be in ROE who are stationed here are on Earth will be the first to be taken into custody. Any who are the Colonies will be apprehended over the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. As we speak I have teams working to keep track any members who are currently not scheduled to work during that time frame."

"How many so far have been arrested?" Serena asked.

"So far eight have been taken into custody." Une answered. "As of right now everything is continuing as planned and we haven't run into any issues. Overall it looks like this will be done quickly and quietly as originally planned."

"So, why weren't we assigned to go after any of these guys?" Duo asked as he leaned back in his chair again. "We aren't used goods just yet."

Une sighed to herself, there were a few reasons she had kept them. One being this meeting in general. "Because of the Charity Ball this upcoming weekend. I need all of you here for security. We'll be going over that at Wednesday's meeting." Une waited for Duo to open his mouth again but Heero sent him a warning look. "I don't have anything more to report to you about the arrest.s. We will be bring a few to our location but the others will be interrogated at their respective facilities. All are being held until we can obtain court orders to proceed with legal actions. For now they will not be released under any circumstances. Do any of you have any questions?"

"When will they arrive?" Heero asked. He caught Serena's eye for a moment before she turned her attention back to Une.

"By Thursday the latest if all goes according to plan. Once they arrive you may prepare for their interrogations."

"Wufei can handle them." Heero said. Turning to Wufei he was about to say something when Une spoke.

"You will be handling at least one of them, Yuy. Chang will be handling the others." Heero lifted a brow as he turned his head back to her. "Lowell has requested that one member by the name of Christopher Edman be brought here. She believes he is our best chance at finding out any information."

"What about the list coordinates I showed you?" Wufei asked. "Have you gone over them?"

"I have and I haven't. The list doesn't lead me to believe anything substantial which is why I asked for Edman to be brought here. He worked closely with me and chances are he knows more about what's going on currently than the others." Serena said to Wufei as she caught Heero glaring slightly at her. "Heero, we're going to be interrogating him together."

"Absolutely not." Heero growled. "I'll handle him myself and you can wait for the report." Serena tightened her own eyes at him.

"He won't talk to you, but..." Serena trailed off as her lips curled up. "I can _get_ him to talk."

Une cleared her throat to gain Heero and Serena's attentions. "I have already granted her permission to do so. We'll discuss this more in detail when the time comes."

"No we'll discuss this now." Heero turned sharply to Serena. "You will not be interrogating Edman. If he finds out that you're here then he'll just withhold any information he has."

"I never said I was going to go straight in. You can have all the fun in the world pulling teeth, but after you've had enough I'll step in. He's not going to say anything to you."

"Why do you think that?" Heero asked hostly. He was already getting more annoyed with her.

"Because he knows who you are. Edman won't tell you shit." Serena glared at him. "Trust me for once that I know what I'm doing. He's our best chance and I don't want to lose the opportunity."

"That's enough!" Une spoke loudly. "We'll have a meeting before hand to go over the limitations I have set for Serena. But I agree with her, especially if Edman is aware of who you are Heero." Une threw him one of her own glares, reminding him that she was in charge. Not him. "Now if I may continue, I need you all to turn your attention to the screen."

Trowa glanced at Serena, her body was rigid for a moment before she slowly relaxed. Trowa caught Heero's eye before he turned back to the screen. He had a feeling Heero wasn't going to take any of this well.

"This is the main reason why I have asked Serena to be here today," Une said as she hit a key on her computer. "Is so she can answer any questions you may have about what I'm about to present to you. I have asked her to draw these..."

"What the fuck is that!? Is that Zero!?" Duo was the first to blurt something out. Cutting Une off.

"It's Zero you idot, or have you forgotten what a damn Gundam looks like?" Wufei scolded him.

"It's not Zero." Serena said tilting her head towards him. "That's my suit."

"What!?" Duo spun his chair around to face her. Pointing a finger at the screen. "You're telling us that's your Gundam!?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Serena smirked at him.

Heero looked between everyone. Wufei was staring at Serena but his jaw was set. Duo's eyes wide but Trowa… Trowa wasn't surprised in the least. "You knew about this?"

Trowa wasn't able to reply as Une took command of the meeting once again. "Like I was saying." She said in a low voice. "I asked Serena to draw up the blueprints for her Gundam along with the Mobile Suits so we have a better idea of what we're dealing with."

Heero turned his head sharply to Serena. "You said there were none." He growled.

"I am the blueprint." Serena's smirk continuing to play on her lips.

"Whoa! Let me see this!" Duo yelled. He quickly stood reaching across the table to Une's laptop, grabbing it he sat back down before flipping through the screens. "It's just like Zero!"

"It's based on Zero yes, but I have added to the original design and what Heero came up with when he upgraded the suit back in 196." Serena said as she leaned closer to Duo.

"This is just insane!" Duo commented before clicking to another screen. "I'm not sure why you kept the wings the same but.. wait what the fuck is that!? How many thrusters do you need girl!?"

Serena laughed lightly. "The wings help with the overall function of the suits ability to fly. I redesigned the thrusters to enhance their output and kept the feathers to still act a shield as well as helping to propel the suit."

"Then why have the thrusters so big?"

Serena smirked at him. "The bigger the better."

Duo narrowed his eyes at her. "So size does matter?"

"My buster rifle is bigger too." Serena winked at him.

Duo quickly went to the weapons detail page pulling up the one for the buster rifle.

"You gotta be fucking kidding!? Does it _really_ need to be that big!? And what the hell are these!? Are they bombs!?"

Heero was trying to remain calm. His fiats clenching and unclenching as he stared straight ahead at the screen watching as the picture changed from one to another. All of Serena's Gundam. He glanced at Trowa who was speaking quietly to Wufei. Neither of them seemed to be bothered by what was being shown to them. Une had sighed and sat back down in her seat. But all he could hear was Duo and Serena laughing as they continue to talk and joke about her design.

Then something snapped in him. The utterly over annoying voice in his head screaming at him but he simply ignored it. His anger finally getting the better of him.

"Enough!" Heero bellowed as he stood shoving his chair away. Turning he looked down at Serena before grabbing her by the jacket hoisting her up. "You said there weren't any blueprints! None!"

"There weren't any." Serena narrowed her eyes as she placed her hands on top of his. "I hold them. There's no paper trail. Even if you went looking, you'd just turn up empty handed."

Heero pushed Serena backwards sending her into the wall. "Bullshit. If you were capable of this all along why didn't you just fucking say something sooner!?" Heero seethed.

Serena tightened her glare. "I couldn't."

"You couldn't!? Why do you keep lying to me!?" Heero shouted at her.

"I wasn't lying to you!"

"All you do is keep lying to me! How am I to ever believe you about anything you say!?" Heero saw her eyes flash at him, but before he could do anything he felt something strike him in the jaw. Causing him to loosen his grip on Serena.

"If you'd just listen instead of jumping down my throat then maybe you'd understand!" Serena said as she balled her fist again. Heero had sworn that he'd never hit a woman for any reason, unless absolutely necessary if risk of injury to anyone was imminent.

But this time, he didn't care.

Heero pulled back his right arm, fist balled before he threw all his weight into his arm. Hitting Serena directly in the cheek. She locked eyes with him once her head turned back around. Her hand coming up to touch where he had hit her. He could vaguely hear people shouting, but he was too focused on her. Then without warning Serena lunged at him, knocking him down to the floor. His breath leaving him as she fell ontop of him. Her hands grabbing his Preventer jacket lifting him up.

"If you'd just fucking listen to me!" She screamed at him.

"Why should I listen to you!?" Heero grabbed her arms, fighting against her hold. Linking his leg around one of hers he was able to flip them so Serena was on her back. "I let you be alone with Relena… I trusted you with her life and this is how you repay me?" He growled.

"I would've protected her and I'm trying to protect her now!" Serena yelled as she broke one of her hands free, balling her right fist she connected again with Heero's jaw. She was able to stun him long enough to flip back so Heero was under her.

Heero glared up at Serena as she pinned his arms down and locked her legs around his. No matter how he moved he couldn't break free. "Like hell you are!"

"I am!" Serena gripped his arms tighter. "I'm trying to protect this world from what _they_ want to do to it. What they want to do to her! You have no idea the kind of horrors they want to inflict upon people. What they would really do to Relena! If I didn't care why would I risk my own life just to save any of yours? I could've easily escaped and went back and fought against _you_. But I didn't. I stayed here to make a difference, to stop them. I've already agreed to use my Gundam to protect the ESUN and what it stands for. To protect Relena and her beliefs that the world can truly be a peaceful place and unnecessary conflicts such as this can cease to exist!"

"Use your Gundam!?" Heero saw red then. Everything else she had said disappeared like the wind. There was no way in his lifetime that he'd let her pilot the very Gundam she helped create.

Pushing against her he was able to push Serena back enough to sit up. He tried to move quickly to throw her against the ground again when he felt two pairs of arms grab him, pulling him to his feet. Serena being lifted and held against Trowa as she continued to to glare at him.

"You don't give a shit what I say! All you see is _what_ I am!" Serena yelled as she fought against Trowa's hold. He was trying to quietly talk to her but she never heard a word he said.

"That's because I know who you are!" Heero bellowed as he tried to lunge at her again. Only to be stopped. "You're nothing more than some experiment gone wrong!" Serena's eyes flashed again as she tried to lunge at him.

"Maxwell, Chang restrain him!" Une shouted over the chaos. "Barton get her out of here!"

Trowa tried to move as quickly as possible. Serena fighting him every step of the way so he did the only thing he could think of. He picked her up throwing her over his shoulder as he moved them towards the door.

"Put me down Barton!" Serena growled at him. She was wiggling in his arms but he knew she wouldn't hit him. Or at least not just yet.

Trowa moved down the hallway towards the elevators. People staring at them, but in that moment he didn't care. He just needed to get Serena out and away from Heero. Trowa could feel how tense Serena was. Her muscles refusing to relax and she had refused to make any of this easy for him. She continued to wiggle against him.

Luckily for him they didn't have to wait long for the elevator.

When the doors opened he quickly stepped inside he hit the button for his office floor. Waiting for the door to close before setting her down.

"Thank you." Serena mumbled as she folded her arms over her chest, huffing as she turned away from him.

"I didn't put you down to be nice. I just don't feel like having you kick me in the groin." Trowa's frown deepened when she refused to look at him.

"I wouldn't have." Serena said bitterly. "I'm not that much of a bitch." When the doors opened she uncrossed her arms before stepping off the elevator. Turning she started to head in the opposite direction of his office. Reaching out Trowa grabbed her shoulders.

"We're going to my office." He said sternly. Serena turned fiery eyes up to him as she pushed past him, heading towards his office. She didn't say anything once they entered his office, but before he could even shut the door she had already begun pacing. Her anger still showing as she clenched and unclenched her fist.

"You knew he was going to be upset." Trowa said as he continued to watch her pace. "That's why you were so quiet this morning."

"He's such ass!" Serena said before coming to stop in front of him. "I'm actually _trying_ to help. But he can't see that. He doesn't see me as anything but what J made me to be! I should've never of drawn up the blueprints for the Gundam or even agree to pilot it for Preventers. This was a mistake! All one big fucking mistake!"

"You did the right thing. Une asked for your help and you did as you were asked. It was a risk either way. As far as Heero goes, that's just something that'll come in time, Serena. As much as you want him to change his mind he won't right away and you know that."

"The risk will be if we _actually_ obtain my suit." Serena's shoulders sagged as her anger subsided. It didn't matter any more, she had already made a decision. "And I know. I just wish he'd understand. It would make all of this easier."

"I know, but give it some more time." Trowa waited a moment before approaching her. Serena seemed to have calmed herself down enough that when he brought his fingers under her chin she didn't fight him. He knew she was still upset but he was more worried about her physically. "How's your jaw?"

"I'm fine." Her deep blue eyes shining up at him. The concern showing on his face as he frowned at her. "Really I'm okay."

"You both got each other pretty good." Trowa tilted her head looking at the small bruise that was forming.

"That's as bad as it'll get. In a day or two it won't be there." Serena lifted her hand lightly grasping his before she lowered both of their hands together. "I'm not worried so neither should you."

"Maybe so, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to." Trowa smiled softly at her and was rewarded with a small smile of her own. Slowly he lowered his head pressing his lips lightly to hers.

Trowa felt her arms come up around his neck as she pressed her lips to his in response. Her tongue slipping into his mouth as she demanded more from him. Wrapping his arms around her waist he walked her backwards towards his desk. With their mouths still locked together. Trowa had been lost in the kiss with Serena that he never heard someone knock on his office door before they entered.

"Hey, just wanted… what the hell is going on!?" Sally hissed. Trowa broke away from Serena staring down into her eyes before she glanced to the side of him. Turning he saw Sally standing against the door. Her eyes wide before she locked it. "Next time lock the damn door! What if it was _someone_ else who happened to walk in here!?" Sally took a few steps closer. "If either of you try and tell me that " _nothing_ " is going on here, I promise that'll there will be a severe consequences for doing so."

Trowa felt Serena drop her arms from his neck. Letting go of her waist he turned to fully face Sally. "What are you doing here?"

Sally lifted a brow before folding her arms over her chest. "I heard someone got into an altercation and I was sent to look at the damage. Though it seems _someone's_ mouth is working just fine."

"I'm perfectly fine." Serena said. Her lips turned up for a moment before her face returned to her normal mask.

"I can see that." Sally looked between the two of them. She wasn't sure this relationship was a good idea in the long run. Too many complications could arise due to it. "You two need to be careful. Like I said I won't say anything but you two need to keep this out of the workplace. Whatever you want or _do_ at home is your business. But I highly suggest not making anything known because _certain_ people may find out and may disapprove of this."

Trowa frowned before pulling his face back. He should've locked the door. "Noted."

"I wouldn't worry." Serena said casually. "One too many already know now."

Sally shook her head. "Just… if this gets out, keep all firearms away from her and Yuy. Understood?" She said point to Trowa.

"You think I'm going to shoot him?" Serena lifted a brow in question.

"Yes and no. Heero will probably want to shoot someone. But with you, chances are you may just pull the trigger if the opportunity arises." Serena's jaw fell open before she quickly shut it.

"I wouldn't shoot him for no good reason." Serena deadpanned.

"No guns for either of you. I don't want you two killing each other." Sally wagged a finger at her before looking up at Trowa. "I suggest you bring her home. Heero's still pretty mad and Une called off the rest of the meeting. There's no point in her staying here." Trowa nodded his head. Sally was right, there wasn't any reason for Serena to stay.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Saturday! I wasn't lying when I said this chapter got out of hand. I had to go as far as break it up into THREE different chapters! Ha! So the last chapter was originally the start of this one, but this one was at 3,911 words even before my Author's Note. O.O whoops! Sorry for the long chapter but I hope it was worth it! I'm still finishing up part two to this, and hopefully I can get that up tomorrow for you all. If not Monday it'll be up!_

 _I hope this has made up for my lack of double updates and also for being not as timely as I normally am. Enough talking for this note. Next chapter I'd like to discuss more. ;) so be prepared! Oh to finish Part Two!_

 _-MM_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven  
** **Monday Meeting Blues:  
** **Part Two**

Heero sat at his desk, ice pack held against his face. Serena's left hook wasn't a joke. She could do some damage with it and had. Heero had been blindsided by it and he could only imagine the bruise that was left behind from her. He had gotten a good hit in himself, but the more he thought about it the more he felt guilty for what he had done. Had had never outright hit a woman before and yet in the moment he didn't see her as one.

Cursing under his breath he knew he had let his anger get the best of him again. Blind rage was never a good thing but when it came to Serena, he couldn't stop himself, even though he knew it was wrong. For whatever reason Serena was the only who could set him off like that. And yet she hadn't done anything to physically harm him or anyone else. Except for today. It was the first time she had done anything and it was either in self defense or out of anger. Probably a little bit of both.

Closing his eyes, Heero knew he was still struggling to trust her. A never ending debate with himself. But her words were still resonating with him. Everything she had said to him in the past and today reminding him to trust in her in some way. Even her actions had spoken loudly to him but he had just brushed it off. Serena wanted to protect Relena and had been trying to stop the group she once worked for. But why now? Why hadn't she come to them before any of this happened? Why didn't she just run away from the start? Heero knew there was more to her story than she was letting on. But she wasn't sharing any of those details with anyone that he knew of. Certainly not with him.

Heero sighed as he drop his hand from his face. Ice wasn't going to change the fact that his jaw was hurting, and his ego. He may have jumped the gun earlier with Serena. Maybe if he had listened and asked the appropriate questions he could've gotten the answers he was looking for. Not only that but the guilt he was feeling was starting to take a toll on him. He was feeling defeated by his own actions. Even if he wanted to speak with Serena, chances were no one would let him close enough to her. He could call. but she'd either ignore him or hang up before he could even apologize. Part of him wouldn't blame her for it either. Heero knew they would need to eventually speak to one another especially since she was going to be interrogating someone with him.

Heero could feel his anger growing again, quickly he pushed the anger back down. He couldn't change the fact that Serena was going to be there whenever this Edman guy came in. But maybe by then they could both sit down and discuss how they would be proceeding with the interrogation. Une had mentioned a meeting before hand, but Heero wondered if he could speak to Serena before that particular meeting. If they could both be civil about it then he had no issues letting her be there. Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't uneasy about the idea.

Although Serena did have a point.

What if Edman didn't disclose any information? Was it possible that she could get him to talk? Serena had given off the impression she was capable of it. Even with his doubts, however Heero was willing to give her a chance, especially if it meant gathering the information they so desperately needed. They needed a lead, anything to that could direct them to where ROE's main headquarters were. There they could find possibly the Gundam along with a majority of their members. Maybe even some of their Mobile Suits.

Heero stood gathering his things. He needed to head to Relena's office. There was no point in staying any longer and he needed to be there before her next meeting. With the week ahead he was going to have to work even harder than normal. Not just on his temper towards Serena but the fact he needed to finalize the security detail for the Ball, but also prep for the interrogation that lay ahead of him. At least two more meetings this week and then Friday night.

Heero groaned at the last thought. He had almost forgotten till now about Relena's impromptu dinner party. Which only meant that he needed to try and patch things up with Serena, or Relena would probably kill him if they went at it over dinner. Relena was already making a big deal out of it since it was technically their first dinner party. Not just her own. Heero didn't care either way, he still had pushing the idea of them just spending the night alone but Relena had been so thrilled over the weekend that he had all but given up on the idea. It wasn't that he didn't like his "friends", but more of the whole entertaining them aspect. He wasn't a host, and probably would never be. Offering a drink or for someone to stay for dinner was one thing, but planning a whole party was more of Relena's thing. She had a talent for it, and she loved to play hostess. Wishful thinking would be if he could just skirt about having to be involved in the whole afire, although he had a feeling that wouldn't happen this time.

Heero sighed as he shut his office door. Locking it behind him. The week ahead was shaping up to possibly a week from hell. And he was stuck in the dead center of it all.

* * *

Trowa drove Serena back to the apartment and much like early in the morning their ride had been spent in silence. Though she seemed to be in a better mood this time. She glanced at him a few times and when he caught her looking she had smiled at him before looking back out the window. It seemed like the tension she had from earlier was gone as she relaxed more into her seat. When they arrived Trowa walked Serena up to the apartment instead of giving her the keys to let herself in.

Once they were inside, Serena walked towards the bedroom. Trowa following her as she took off her jacket. She made her way to the closet, opening the door she pulled out a hanger placing her jacket on it before replacing hanger back in the closet.

"So does size really matter?" Trowa asked from where he stood by the bed.

"What do you think?" Serena turned to face him. She could see the glint in his eye as his lips curled up.

"I asked you first."

"I have no complaints." Serena's eyes twinkled as she closed the gap between them. "I wouldn't worry, Barton. You're certainly not lacking in that department." Serena pushed him down onto the bed before she moved to straddle his lap. Trowa's hands automatically going to her waist as she crushed her mouth to his in a demanding kiss.

"What's gotten into you?" Trowa asked as he broke the kiss. He wasn't planning on staying since he needed to get back to work. He just wanted to make sure she was going to okay before he left. Though he should've known better. The sparkle in her eyes was a dead giveaway to what she wanted.

"You don't want me?" Serena asked as she shoved his jacket off roughly. She didn't feel like playing games with him this time.

"You know I do…" Trowa started to say before Serena cut him off.

"Then why are we talking?"

"Serena…"

"Didn't you think about bending me over your desk?" Trowa's eye went wide as she started kissing his neck. The thought did cross his mind, but then Sally came into his office. "I did." Serena whispered into his ear as she pulled up on his shirt. "Why don't we just do it now." She purred meeting his eyes.

"Serena I need to get back." It wasn't that he didn't want to. Trowa was pretty sure she knew that as she rocked her hips, causing the bulge in his pants to strain more against the pressure.

"You know you want to." Her lips curling up into a smirk right before he crushed his lips to hers. He couldn't deny her, and he couldn't deny himself of her. He'd make up some kind of excuse as to why it took him so long to get back.

Trowa broke their kiss long enough to pull her shirt over her head before their mouths were back on each other's again. Their tongues battling as they each tried to feel more of one another. It wasn't long before his shirt joined hers on the floor.

His hands roaming her bare skin as her hands cupped his face. His hand starting to travel lower on her backside when he felt something vibrating in his pocket. Trowa's eyes snapped opened as he pulled away from her. Serena's eyes boring into his.

"You gotta be kidding me." Trowa groaned as he moved Serena off of his lap. Pulling his phone out, he checked the caller ID. "Maxwell." Trowa seethed. Now was not the time for anyone to be calling him.

"Don't answer it." Serena said.

"I have to." He said as he put the phone to his ear. "Barton."

"About time you answered! What the hell are you doing to take so long?"

Trowa glanced at Serena. One of her bra straps was hanging off of her shoulder and the pout on her lips was making her even more irresistible. "I was busy. What do you want?" He said growling into the phone.

"Whoa someone sounds a little hostile. I was just wondering when you'd be coming back? Thought you were just dropping Rena off?"

"Soon." Trowa said gruffly.

"Everything okay man?"

Trowa made the mistake of closing his eyes. Duo's annoyness was getting to him and it seemed Serena took it as an invitation to pick things back up where they left off. Serena had moved closer to him, kissing his neck lightly as her hand worked quickly undoing the zipper of his pants before she slipped her hand in. "Everything's fine." Trowa said between clenched teeth. His eyes clamped shut.

"Doesn't sound it. What's going on?"

Trowa wanted to groan in more than one way. With Duo's on going questioning and Serena's actions making the strain of his own needs worse. He was at a loss for what to do. Then he felt something.

Trowa's eyes flew open as Serena replaced her hand with her mouth. A moan suppressed in the back of his throat as he stared down at her.

"Trowa?"

"Yeah everything's good. I'll be back soon." Trowa didn't wait for a response as he hung up his phone, throwing it to the side somewhere. Serena stilled when he placed his hands on her head. "Don't stop." He said in a low husky voice. Serena looked up at him, her lips pulled into a smirk around him before she started moving again.

Trowa let her continue for a while longer. He knew if she continued that he wouldn't be able to last long. Stopping her gently he pulled her back up into his lap. Kissing her hard on the lips, he flipped them over onto the bed. Her eyes shining with lust as he stared down into them. "You're going to get me in trouble."

"Everyone needs a little danger in their lives." Serena smirked.

"We'll need to make this fast."

"Then why are you still talking, Barton?" The smile still on her lips.

Trowa didn't waste anymore more time getting the rest of their clothes off. Adjusting himself he pushed into her. Her back arching slightly into him as he lowered himself to cradled his head against her neck and shoulder. He breathed her in as he slowly started rocking his hips back and forth. Trowa could feel himself melting into her as he picked up his pace. He loved the way she'd talk to him when they made love. She never held back and was learning to do the same. Her nails started to dig into his back as he pushed himself harder. Her breathy moans becoming louder before he covered her mouth with his.

Serena made him feel alive, like no other woman had ever made him feel. She possessed such a power that being with her was like being on top of the world. And he had done such a thing once so long ago. Racing Heavyarms towards the Earth in the last battle he ever fought. The rush of entered Earth's atmosphere couldn't compare to the rush he felt being with her. They'd encourage each other and it was hard to deny her of what she wanted when she'd look directly into his eyes. It drove him crazy with just one look she had him hooked and wanting more.

If she told him to jump, he'd asked her how high? It was that possess power that had him wondering if she even knew what she was doing to him? Even now as they worked through the rhythms of their love making. When she completely gave in into him, the look on her face and even the way her body responded, he felt like he was invincible. Serena had the ability to conjure up feelings other's tell you about, but you never fully understand them till you experience it for yourself.

Trowa broke their kiss as he pushed himself harder. His breaths ragged as he adjusted them. Bending her leg up, he tried to meet her demand for release. He was rewarded when he felt her tighten around him, her back arching as she cried out. Gripping her waist he held on tightly to her as he worked towards his own release. Serena lifted her hips allowing him to push deeper. It was all he needed before he felt a wave of pleasure wash over him. Falling forward onto her, he rested his head against her neck. Planting soft kisses to her skin as he regained his breathing.

"I think we may have done that in record time." Serena chuckled.

"Yeah." Was all Trowa could say as he took in another deep breath. "And now I have to go back to work."

"Such a shame you can't stay here. We could always go for round two."

Lifting his head, Trowa smiled at her. "Can I get a rain check?"

"Maybe." Serena laughed as Trowa tilted his head to kiss her.

"I'll just take that as a yes." He smiled softly at her before he moved himself off of her. "Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No." Serena returned a smile of her own. "Just make sure you fix your hair before you leave."

"Is it that bad?" Trowa lifted a hand, smoothing out his bangs.

"Don't be like Heero who shows up with even more unruly hair than he normally has. It's a dead giveaway." Serena laughed again as she reached over helping to tame his hair. "You should be fine."

"Thanks." Trowa leaned in to kiss her again when her face became serious. "Is something wrong?"

"Sally was right earlier. We can't have his getting out. It's bad enough she already knows. We can't be so careless with our actions." Trowa face fell into a frown. It wasn't that he disagreed with her. "This is between us and I prefer to keep my private life private. When we're together around anyone we need to act appropriately."

"I agree." Trowa said.

Serena's face hardened more. "This is too risky as is. If anyone else were to find out there could potentially be serious conciseness for you being involved with me. I don't want you to lose your job over that. If anything does happen you are to deny everything." Serena said sternly.

"I wouldn't lose my job, Serena. If anything it'd end up being an argument with Heero."

"I'm not worried about Heero. I could handle him myself. But what I'm more concerned about is the repercussions of our actions. You do realize that you could be targeted by Edwards." Trowa's frowned deepened. He didn't understand fully what she was saying and her cryptic message only left him guessing.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say."

"Don't worry, as long as we stay quiet we'll be fine." Serena shook her head. "You should get dressed and head back to HQ. They're probably wondering where you are."

Trowa didn't feel right leaving now. Even though he knew he needed to, he wanted to ask her why he would become a target of someone who could possibly be dead. It didn't make sense to him. Sighing to himself he nodded his head as he stood from the bed. Gathering their clothes he handed Serena hers before dressing himself. "I'll let you know when I'm on my way home. If you need anything just call."

"Alright." Serena said as she too stood to redress.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Monday! Yes this was a long chapter again. But I did warn you all that I got a little carried away. It's also turned into a three-parter. Sorry not sorry. Lol. Anyways! I'd like to have a discussion so my note here might get a little long._

 _I wanted to talk about the relationships going on in this story. We have our favorite 1xR couple, heart eyes, and we also have Trowa and Serena. Both relationships are very different and slightly similar in some ways. I'm sure you all noticed I used a line from Heero and Relena's last scene. This was done deliberately. This was to showcase the extent that both guys are willing to go for their significant others. But also on how Heero and Trowa think. Their personalities at times can be very similar and I have always felt this is why they were able to get along so well in the series. It also shows that in the real world, that one would do anything and everything for the one they love. (If none of you just got that little pun I'm going to be upset.) These are just fictional characters but if we take a deeper look into their actions, there's not so different from anyone else. I wanted to make sure that you as the reader are able to see that and be able to see the difference between them._

 _Now as far as each individual relationship, we have a couple who have been together for four years now. Well established (for the most part, lol) and a couple who have just entered into a relationship. Both are completely different from each other. How each couple responds to their other half (if you will) is very different and I hope you are able to see that. Heero and Relena have already gone through what I like to call the "honeymoon phase." Yes normally that is typically used to describe a newlywed couple. But I feel it can apply to this as well. While Heero and Relena do seem to have an active personal life *cough sex life cough* they know each other in and out and what they each like and don't like. They're relationship is general is more mature than Serena and Trowa's. Serena and Trowa don't have the experience that Heero and Relena do, so they're more likely to just do whatever whenever, simply because it's new and exciting. If you've ever been in a new relationship I'm sure you can relate to that. While one of them may know where its heading or hoping to head, the other doesn't. Or is simply living in the moment of it all. I don't blame either if they just want to "enjoy passing the free time." Ha! But I hope you are able to see the difference between both couples and not think Heero and Relena are boring compared to Serena and Trowa. Their still learning about each other and exploring this uncharted territory, while Heero and Relena have been there and done that. Lastly, all four of their personalities are different. Even if we pick out the similarities, they're all still different and completely their own._

 _Thank you for letting me ramble here. On to edit more :D and thank you for taking the time to read everything as well!_

 _-MM_


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight  
** Monday Meeting Blues:  
Part Three

Heero made his way through the capital building heading towards Relena office. They had about ten minutes before they needed to leave and head to her next meeting. Heero stationed extra security for her. Ever since Watson's attempt he made sure that instead of her usual three to five guards that there was at least a minimum of eight to ten. Including himself. All scattered around her floor, two outside of her door and the rest within running distance if she needed them. He had already passed by a few of them, letting them know that they'd be leaving soon.

As he continued down the hallway he started to think that Relena needed more. Serena's words from earlier were still buzzing around in his head. If they were arresting the members of ROE it would only be a matter of time before they'd try and lash out against Preventers. Of even members of the ESUN.

Heero made his way to where Relena's office was located. He stopped short of Relena's secretary as a realization came to mind. What if they found out where Serena was and tried to get in contact with her or outright try and retrieve her? Whoever was the leader of ROE would figure out that some of their members had gone missing within few days. They were already able to infiltrate Preventers without anyone's knowledge, so the likelihood that communication between these members and their leader was a given. No mission could go without some sort of daily or weekly contact.

Without thinking Heero pulled out his cellphone.

* * *

Serena stood in the kitchen eating an early lunch. Trowa had already left and she was trying to figure out what she could do for the rest of the day. She knew she needed to contact Une to get an update on the arrest and to see if Edman had been taken into custody yet. Serena mused over a few ideas on how to handle him once they were face to face. One being to simply lash out at him. A couple of well placed hits usually did the trick, though she had a feeling that an action such as that would get her thrown out of the room. But then again, it probably would feel pretty good to take some anger out on someone. Even though she had punched Heero earlier that morning.

Shaking the memory away, Serena focused on other possible ideas. Ones that would get her the results she wanted. Results they needed. Her musing over ideas came to a halt when her phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID she growled to herself as she answered. "If you're calling to start another argument…"

 _"Serena just listen."_ Heero's said in a gruff tone.

"Why should _I_ listen to you?" Serena countered back.

 _"This is important. Please?"_ Serena's brow arched as she debated over Heero's request. His tone suggesting that this was something urgent.

"Fine."

 _"What are the possibilities that the people you found from ROE were communicating on a regular basis with your leader?"_

"Probable, I used to have daily contact with someone before things change."

 _"How were the communications handled?"_

"It depended on the nature of the conversation. Why are you asking?"

 _"If we arrest all these people and no one responds to any messages or calls, someone is going to find out that we know about them. There's a chance they alright know."_

"That is a possibility."

 _"We need to find out how they were communicating. If they have any personal phones we need to obtain those along with any computers."_

"That was already factored into the original plan. These people are going to be tried for their actions. There's still a possibility I could even be arrested and charged. The only issue we have right now if combing through everyone's personal belongings. If they were using cellphones to place calls, chances are the numbers are untraceable. As well as any digital form of communication. Any messages sent or received are either highly encrypted or were deleted. Even if we dug through someone's hard drive it could take weeks before we find anything."

Serena heard Heero growl. _"Time isn't something we have at this point. You've already been with us for a month and I'm pretty sure someone has noticed that you're missing."_

"Probably, but I do understand what you're saying. This is why I want Edman. He just recently joined Preventers and since he worked closely with me and he's our best shot at finding out anything. We need to do this right or we're just left to continue chasing our tails."

 _"Look, I need to go but we'll discuss this more later."_

"Alright." Serena wondered why he had even called her in the first place.

 _"Serena..."_ Heero trailed off.

"Yeah?"

 _"Sorry for earlier."_ Serena gaped down at the phone in her hand. As quickly as he'd called, he had hung up. The whole conversation was strange to begin with but now she was even more confused. Had that really just happened?

"Did he just apologize!?" Serena said aloud.

* * *

With at least one thing taken off his list, Heero pocketed his phone. He knew he'd have to call Serena back later at some point and go over a few more things. At least for now he didn't feel as guilty as he had been feeling before placing the call. It was at least a start, and Heero hoped that his small effort showed Serena that he was trying. When he brought his eyes up he noticed Relena's assistant Jill was staring right at him.

"Is everything okay?" Jill asked with her head tilted to the side. The young girl with short brunette hair and hazel eyes had been with Relena for the past five years. Jill was only a year younger than them but she had worked hard to earn her keep as Relena's assistant. Especially after Chris. She was also one of the few people who knew about his and Relena's relationship. She never spoke about it and Heero had always been grateful for that. They respected one another and Heero had even come to like her. Even though he still put up his usually cold front, like he was now. Jill usually just looked past it. Sometimes.

"Everything's fine, is Relena ready?" Heero asked as he took a few steps closer to her desk.

"She should be. But what happened to your face, Heero?" Jill said pointing at him. "Were you in a fight or something?"

"Nothing." Heero said gruffly. He had forgotten for a moment that he was sporting a good sized black and blue bruise on his jaw.

"Sure, whatever you say." Jill said as she folded her arms over her chest. "Relena won't be happy, you know this right?"

"I'm not worried." Heero said as he started heading towards Relena's office door. Without knocking he let himself in. The two men he had stationed out of her door exchanged glances as he entered. Jill rolled her eyes at his retreating back before she turned back to gather her belongings before they all left for Relena's next meeting.

"Perfect timing." Relena said with her back turned to him. She was busy filling papers away in her briefcase. "We need to head out…" Her words dying on her lips as she turned around to face him. "Oh my god Heero! What happened!?"

Relena looked horrified as he met her eyes. "Nothing." He replied calmly.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Relena said as she crossed her over her chest. Her face hardening. "Looks like someone got a pretty good hit on you."

"No." Heero said adjusting the strap of his computer bag. "Are you ready?"

Relena took a few steps closer to him. Lifting her hand she grabbed his chin turning his head to the side. "Whoever it was, was left handed. Unless you angered Wufei. But if it wasn't him then who else could've done this?"

"No one, it was an accident." Heero smirked to himself. Relena was always good at remembering details.

"I don't believe you, but we don't have time to stand here and discuss this. I need to get going to my next meeting." Relena glanced down at her watch. "And were probably going to be late. It a lunch meeting across town."

"We'll get there on time." Heero's smirk widen as Relena turned her eyes up to him.

"One of these days we're going to get pulled over for speeding. You know that right?" She arched a brow at him.

"We'll just get off with a warning. That's why you tend to ride in the front with me." Relena rolled her eyes at him.

"And here I thought it was just because you wanted my company."

"That too." Heero was rewarded with one of her smiles as he pulled her closer. "But we should go." Relena stood on her tip toes kissing him on the cheek.

"Yes and you should ice that more. Don't need you looking like one of those MMA fighters Duo's always going on about. That and I want you looking good for the Ball." Relena said with a wink.

* * *

Tuesday came and almost went without an real update from Une. It was still relatively early -eight o'clock- when Serena's phone rang. She and Trowa had been relaxing on the couch watching something of mild interest on the TV. Serena sat up reaching for her phone that was on the coffee table. She had been keeping it close to her in case any news came in about Edman. When she checked the caller ID she was surprised to see who was calling. Her excitement started to build as she answered. "Hello?"

 _"Lowell."_ Une's voice was sharp. Serena arched a brow as she turned to face Trowa.

"Commander." She greeted back in the same tone.

 _"I'm calling to inform you of new development regarding the arrest of current ROE members."_ Serena sat back more in her seat. While something like this was supposed to be good news, she wasn't so sure. Une's use of words and tone had her questioning the nature of the call. Une usually wasn't this formal with her.

"And that is?" Trowa shot her a look. Serena only shook her head at the question he was trying to convey to her. There was a long pause before Une finally spoke.

 _"We got Edman."_

Serena bolted up. Her eyes wide as she stared at the now muted TV. "You got him!?" Her voice an octave higher.

 _"He's being brought here as we speak. He'll arrive earlier tomorrow morning. Come in with Barton and prepare for the interrogation."_ Serena could sense the smile on Une's face through the phone. This was their opportunity to find out where the Gundam might be. She needed this, needed to know. From there she could continue on with her plan. Serena could feel her heart racing with the prospects of what was to come. Collecting herself she replied as calmly as she could.

"Will do. Thank you for calling."

 _"Don't thank me just yet, Lowell. There's still a great deal of work ahead."_

"Yes of course." Serena said.

 _"One last thing before I let you go."_

"Yes?"

 _"I'm withdrawing my limitations for tomorrow. The session will still be recorded, but for our records only."_

"But what'll happen if this goes to trial? They're going to want the video footage from the interrogation."

 _"Like_ you've _said before, I tend to bend the rules sometimes."_ Serena's lips curled up, she was just given the green light. _"All I ask is that you not kill him. He shot at four of our officers and tried to make a run for it. Based on his actions I have decided that fair treatment won't work on him. But we still need him alive to stand trial."_

"Roger that." Serena said as she looked at Trowa. Her smile growing wider. She finished up her conversation with Une before sitting back down. Trowa had kept his eyes on her but seemed to be waiting patiently for her to answer his unspoken question.

"They got Edman." Serena said. Her lips still curled up. "I'm going into work with you tomorrow."

"Another bring your girlfriend to work day?" Trowa smirked. Serena titled her head but decided against saying anything on the subject.

"I need to call Heero. We don't have a whole lot of time to prep and he never called me back yesterday." Serena said as she stood.

"He called you?" Trowa's brow shot up.

"Yeah, wasn't anything important." Serena had already put her phone back to her ear, waiting for him to pick up. "Heero?" She said once a rough male voice answered.

Trowa half listened as Serena moved into the bedroom, their conversations already switching over to Japanese. Heero hadn't said anything to him earlier that morning about speaking with Serena. He had only dropped off a rough draft of the security measures that would be taking place for the Charity Ball. Heero had asked him to go over them and add anything else he felt was necessary to make sure all guest and personnel were safe during the event.

Trowa stood from the couch making his way into the kitchen where he had left his laptop and bag. Knowing it'd be awhile before Serena was off the phone with Heero. Pulling out Heero's detailed plan he walked back to the couch to start reviewing it. He could hear Serena speaking and from the tone of her voice it seemed as though they were being civil with each other. At least for now they were yelling.

Shaking his head he wondered how they could go from being at each other's throats to being so calm and collected. But then again this was Heero and Serena he was analyzing. They both could go from being hot headed to rationalizing something within a matter of seconds. They both followed their emotions but also knew when they needed to put things in perspective to accomplish something. Trowa smirked to himself as he came to the realization that they were in fact too much alike for their own good. But maybe that's why he got along with them so well.

Or maybe because she was different. She was her own self, and not a complete carbon copy of Heero. Trowa was able to pick up on the differences from the start but the more time he spent with her the more he was able to see how different they really were. Heero's eye would tick a few times when his anger reached a certain level. Serena's brows would crease ever so slightly before her breaking point. While both tended to clench their jaws, Serena would pull her lips back before moving that tense to her hands. Heero would clench his jaw while his fist balled at the same time. They may have been little things, but it showed how different they are.

One huge one that Trowa had learned right away was the fact that Serena tended to pace when analyzing something. Usually out of anger or simply being anxious, while Heero could sit for hours before having to get up to move around. Trowa guessed that Serena's pacing was simply done out of habit. Even though he didn't understand it fully. If they were trained the same why would Heero be able to remain still while Serena had to be moving? He tried not to analyze it too much, but the question still remained.

There were still a lot of questions he had, and that if given the chance he would ask her, but somehow he knew that asking those questions could potentially lead her to shut down. Almost as if it was a safety net of hers, though she wasn't much different from the rest of them. They all had their secrets and some things they just never spoke about. But that was the mystery about her. What other secrets was she hiding?

Trowa glanced up as he caught sight of Serena walking by the open door of the bedroom. She smiled softly at him before turning her attention back to the conversation she was having with Heero. At that moment Trowa couldn't help but laugh to himself. Now he was starting to really understand Relena's attraction to Heero. And why Relena had so desperately wanted to know more about Heero. The allure alone was enough to keep you coming back.

* * *

 _A/N  
Happy Hump Day! I hope you all are making it through the week good! Only two more days till the weekend! Unless you work weekends then I apologize. I am keeping this short since my last note got a little long. So we get to meet this Edman guy in the next chapter, that's exciting. :D Really, it is. Serena still has her own plan? Waaahhhh? Girl what are you thinking!? Guess we'll have to find out more about that. We also got into Trowa's head a little here at the end. Of course he would noticed the difference, I mean c'mon on? He's a great observer, I wouldn't doubt his ability to pick up on these things. And last but not least... Heero apologized!? Do you think he be able to continued to work on this "relationship" - as we'll call it- or do you think he'll just say "screw this, I'm not gonna be nice anymore?" Hm? Well it could go either way, but lets hope Heero has a _change of heart _somewhere down the line. :-D ;)_

 _Next chapter, Interrogation!_

 _-MM_

 _PS! Doc Manager... I currently dislike you right now. I just want to be able to upload with LITTLE to no corrections needed, instead of having to fix the whole doc because you can't upload correctly!_


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine  
** **Interrogation**

Wednesday morning Heero ended up asking Duo and Wufei to go with Relena to her meetings for the day. He wasn't sure how long his day was going to be and with the Charity Ball only three days away, Relena had set up some meetings to try and get some of the higher ups in the Brussel area to agree to donate to her charity. While Relena's charity had to do with the Mars project it was mainly to gather enough resources for the people who would be heading to the red planet. Supplies and other essentials necessary for their journey. While Relena worked hard with the budget committee there was still funding that was needed. The money would allow for those whose families wish to make the move would be provided with the means to do so. Relena felt it was her responsibility to make sure these men and woman were comfortable when they headed out into space.

Duo had contacted him a short time ago to let him know that they were still at Relena's office and would be heading out in a half hour or so to her first meeting. Though the message came across as more of a teenage girl texting her friends, Heero rolled his eyes but replied back anyway, asking for regular updates.

Heero had been sitting at his desk going over Christopher Edman's file. He wanted to know as much as possible about the man he would be questioning. Heero had asked Serena if she wanted the file resent to her to review but she had declined. Although he should've know since Serena had giving him some insight as to what Edman's duties were while he worked alongside her. For at least the last two years, he had been bring her orders and bring their leader updates on her. He also had been apart of the construction of her Gundam. While he mainly dealt with the cockpit, since it was the only piece of the suit Serena had been working and training on, she wasn't sure how much more he knew about the rest of the suit itself. But she had a feeling he knew where the rest of it was being built.

Because of that Serena felt that he knew more than he had let on during his time with her. Serena had kept her distance with Edman but she had told him that she only really interacted with Edman when he was physically at the satellite with her. J had handled the calls and only reported to her information that he felt was necessary for her to know. Heero had started to believe that she wasn't lying when she said she was kept in the dark about a lot of things. When he had asked why there was a change, she had refused to answer him. Instead of getting angry with her, Heero dropped the subject and switch it back to the original reason for her call.

What they planned to do during the interrogation.

Since this was Heero's first time going into something like this with Serena, he wanted to make sure they were on the same page. He would be leading the interrogation and even though at some point, depending on how Edman was responding, Serena would come in. She wasn't fond of the prospect of it, but Heero wanted to keep her out of sight if he could help it. The less Edman knew, the better. If Edman learned that Serena was there, Heero wasn't sure how the rest of the session would go. In the end Serena had agreed to only come in when necessary. If she were to enter the room, Heero had agreed to allow her to take over questioning and only prompt when he felt that he needed to step in.

Overall he was satisfied with their plan.

Checking the time Heero stood from his chair, grabbing a folder off his desk before heading out the door. Trowa and Serena should have already arrived and were mostly likely heading down to the interrogation rooms. Une had spoken to him earlier and informed him that she'd be waiting down in the observation room for them. When he had made it down to the room, Serena and Trowa were already there waiting. Trowa was speaking to Une while Serena stood looking into the other room. Her brows were creased and her eyes hard as she stared at Edman. Heero glanced into the other room taking in the profile view of him. He was young, but didn't look his age. Edman's file stated that he was twenty-nine years old, with brown hair and brown eyes. Five-ten and weighed a hundred and sixty pounds. Heero gauged him for a moment and surmised that he did look more around his age than an almost thirty year old.

"He's not going to talk." Serena's voice broke through Heero's thoughts. Turning his head sharply he saw her staring at him. "He's going to play some game with you, that's something he's always enjoyed doing. Don't let him get under your skin."

Heero narrowed his eyes slightly. Serena's expression was hard to read. Her eyes were still hard but the rest of her was relaxed. She wasn't allowing him to see what she was thinking. "Note taken." Heero said as he turned to face Une. "Are we all set to proceed?"

Une glanced between the two before bring her attention back to Heero. "Whenever you're ready." Heero nodded his head before turning on his heel, leaving the room. Une made her way over to the window. Cnce Heero had stepped into the room she hit a button just below the window to start the recording. "Do you still agree to my terms?" She asked Serena.

Serena's lips curled up. "I didn't forget if that's what you're asking." Une glanced sidelong at the slightly shorter woman. Serena's eyes focus on the two occupants in the other room. But her smile didn't go unnoticed. Une just prayed that Serena wouldn't go overboard if she went in the other room with Heero and Edman.

* * *

Heero took the seat opposite Edman. A sly smiled on the other man's face. "Heero Yuy." Edman said in a low deep voice. Heero kept his eyes locked on him but didn't respond. "I've heard a lot about you, but have you heard anything about me?" When Heero didn't respond still Edman continued. "I'm guessing you've heard something since I'm sitting here, locked up in these." Edman held his hands up. The cuffs still clamped around his wrists.

Heero broke eye contact to open the folder he had brought in. "You recently joined Preventers."

"Yeah, so?" Edman leaned back in his chair.

"Why?" Heero looked up. A cocky grin on the other man's face.

"Why not? Might as well better the world right?" Heero refrained from rolling his eyes. Edman sounded a lot like Duo and the grin on his face was even more annoying. "Who wouldn't want to be apart of that?" Edman continued.

"You're twenty-nine and decided two months ago to join. Why wait so long?"

Edman shrugged. "Pushing papers was boring. I wanted some excitement in my life. That and I was in training to become an OZ soldier during the wars. Didn't want those skills going to waste."

Heero closed the folder and leaned back in his own seat. It wasn't like this wasn't typical for someone who was under arrest to act like this, but Serena had warned him. Deciding to forgo his original plan, Heero jumped right in. "You work for a group known as Revolution of Edwards." Heero saw Edman's eyes flash before he collected himself. "What are their main objectives?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of a group by that name." Edman shrugged again. "Maybe you got your information wrong."

"You've been with them since AC 197." Heero countered.

"Still don't know what you're talking about. Though this is pretty interesting. Tell me what does this group want?"

Heero ignored the question. "We know other members of ROE have made their way into Preventers. What is your reasoning for being here? What orders were given to you?"

Edman's brows arched. Then his grin returned. "I'm shocked it took the great Heero Yuy this long to figure out something wasn't right. Though I can't help you still, because I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a field agent in training. Haven't earn my _wings_ yet."

Heero narrowed his eyes. "What are the shipments of metals for? And where were they heading to?"

"Metal shipments? If I were these guys I'd sell them on the black market. Flip everything and make some real money. But hey that's just me."

Heero was starting to get annoyed. No matter what he asked Edman just flipped it around. "We know that ROE has obtained a few resource satellites, what is the purpose for that?"

"Why would anyone want one? Unless you wanna build some awesome party place." Edman brought both his hands up to stroke his chin. "Actually that sounds like an awesome idea. Image the raging parties you could have if you owned your own sattitle."

Heero was about to say something, knowing he needed to change his tactics when the door swung open. Heero turned sharply in his seat when he saw Edman's eyes go wide. Serena walked into the room before slamming the door shut behind her. Her eyes locked onto Edman's as she made her way over to the table. Edman had schooled his face by the time Heero turned around.

"Well, well… isn't this an interesting development." Edman smirked. "Delta… it's been a while." When Serena didn't respond he continued. "So this is where you've been hiding. Ran away to become a Preventer?" Serena kept her gaze hard. Edman knew she wouldn't say anything. "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd be standing next to the very person you were made from. Must be hard to handle huh, Heero?" Edman asked.

Heero glanced at Serena whose lips were curled up. He didn't feel comfortable having her in the room and had wished he didn't agree to this, but at the same time Edman was talking. He had acknowledged that he knew who Serena was. Maybe she would be able to get something out of him.

"Talk." Serena said calmly. Edman only laughed.

"So what have you told them? It's observe you've spilled if _I'm_ here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Serena tilted her head to the side. Heero had moved to stand from his seat. If anything he'd feel better if Serena was sitting down.

"I smell bullshit." Edman chuckled. "What kind of deal did they offer you?"

"Nothing." Serena glanced at Heero before sitting down in the now empty chair. If she wanted this to go _her_ way, she need to please Heero by at least letting him think she was following his rules.

"They didn't offer you any kind of deal and yet you're working for them?" His brow lifted.

"I don't work for anyone." Serena deadpanned.

"Of course not, my mistake. You never did enjoy being _tied_ down." His lips curled up when he saw the flash of annoyingness pass through her eyes. "So what do I owe for the pleasure of seeing you? Hmm? Not often you come to me for something."

"Locations." Serena said as she folded her arms over her chest. She could feel Heero eyeing.

"What locations? Like my house? That's easy, it's in the file that he brought." Edman said pointing to Heero. "Though if you wanted to see me, you could've just called."

"I want a detailed list of all current locations. Leaders, member housing, storage and satellites."

"Like I'm going to give you anything of that? C'mon Delta, have they brainwashed you into doing this? They're just going to arrest you and throw you in jail in the end. They don't care what happens to you as long as their pressure world isn't being threatened."

Serena turned her head up to look at Heero. "That is true. They don't care what happens to me, they just want their information and that's it." Serena said turning back to Edman.

"So you're not completely runned by them, yet." He smriked. "So where do we go from here? I know! Why don't you uncuff me and let me go? You have zero evidence to hold me."

"We have plenty." Heero said gruffly.

"Yeah, and what you're star witness is her? What a shit show if you ask me." Edman said to Heero. "Now, why don't you and I go somewhere more private huh? Work this out and maybe I won't tell Gavin where you've been."

"How about I kill you instead?" Edman's eyes went wide as well as Heero's. Before Heero could even do anything Serena stood, pushing the table that separated her from Edman. The table slamming into the wall as Serena moved forward grabbing hold of his shirt. "Now, why don't _we_ have a little chat? Just you and me."

"I have nothing to say." Edman said hastily.

"Oh I think you'll have plenty to say." Serena smiled before her face hardened. Pushing him backwards till his chair balanced on two legs. Placing her knee in between his legs. "Now let's have that chat."

"Bite me." Edman seethed. "You don't scare me."

"Oh really?" Serena said leaning down. Her face close to his. "You should be." She purred. "Don't forget who I am, Edman." Serena pushed her knee into his groin. "You know I love to bite." She said before standing. With drawing a gun from behind her back. "Where is it?" She demanded.

Edman cried out hunching over in his chair after it fell back to the ground. "Bitch!" He said looking up at her. Serena turned the gun in her hand before swinging her arm, hitting him across the face.

"Where is it?" She asked again.

"Where's what?" Edman said turning a bloody smile to her.

"Where did they move the Gundam to?"

"Oh…" Edman said as he glanced to over to Heero. His face a complete mask. "So you told them, huh?"

"I know it was moved."

"Ah, for someone who hasn't been there you sure seem to know a lot." Edman turned a twisted smile up to her. "What else do they know about you?" Serena's shot out her other hand grabbing a hold of his hair. Pulling she lifted his head higher as she moved her knee back in between his legs.

"Where is my suit?" Serena's voice low as she growled between her teeth. "I want it returned to me."

"You never answered my question," Edman smiled a bloody grin. "Have you told them all about how _obedient_ you are?" He cried out as Serena pushed her knee into his groin at the same time she pulled his head back more.

"This is your only warning." Serena seethed. "Tell me where my suit is."

Edman laughed in her face. "You should know _exactly_ where it is, Delta."

Serena moved the gun under his chin. "They won't stop me if I pull the trigger right now. They won't do a damn thing." Her eyes flashing as she whispered to him. "Now where is my suit?"

"I'm not telling you." Edman seethed. The room fell quiet as Serena moved herself into his lap. Gun still under his chin as he leveled her with a stony mask.

Serena had leaned into him whispering so quietly that Heero couldn't make out anything she was saying. Edman's breathing was starting to come in short gasps, as his face paled. Heero couldn't see Serena's face from where he was standing. Glancing to the two-way mirror, Heero cursed to himself when he noticed Serena had angled herself so her face was still hidden. Her hair also helping to shield her from view. But whatever she had said to Edman seemed to be working.

"Where is it?" Serena said as she stood back up.

"Between L2 and L3, last I knew." Edman's whole appearance had changed as he started to shake.

"Which satellite?"

"I don't know. I wasn't given the coordinates." Edman flinched as Serena brought a hand to her hip.

"What about Edwards?" Serena asked. "Where is he?"

"I.. I don't know." Edman stuttered. Heero wanted to move closer to see what was really going on. How was it that within a matter of minutes Serena had completely changed the situation? Heero watched as Serena brought the gun back up, swinging her arm again. Edman crying out from the blow.

"Tell me!" Serena said forcefully.

"I don't know!" Edman cried out. "Please! I don't know!"

"You're lying to me, Christopher." Serena purred. "And our relationship has such history. Why start breaking that trust now?"

"I'm not! I swear Delta! I don't know, I didn't think he was still alive! Please you have to believe me! Gavin never said anything to indicate he was still alive or where he might be!"

"You disappoint me." Serena deadpanned. "You know nothing of Edwards and you have little information to offer me about my Gundam. For someone who was working to become second in command you seem to be lacking the skills necessary to do so."

"I…" Edman tried to speak between mouthfuls of blood.

"Don't bother. You're useless to me now."

"What… what are you going to do?" Edman started shaking as he stared up at her with terrified eyes.

Serena moved around to stand behind him. Leveling her gun to his head, she flicked off the safety. "Like I said before. Kill you."

Heero's eyes went wide as he reached for his own weapon. But before he could even wrap his fingers around the handle, Serena had brought up her arm before swinging it down into the back of Edman's neck. Knocking him out. Heero staring at her with wide eyes. He couldn't grasp that any of this had happened and he had only helped by allowing it in the first place.

"Asshole." Serena muttered as she started to head towards the door. Reaching out to her, Heero grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around.

"What the _fuck_ Serena!?" Glaring at him she pulled her arm away, ejecting the magazine from the gun, then opening the slide. She handed both over to him.

"You'd think that they let me have a loaded weapon around you?" Her brow quirked at him. "It's empty."

Heero only stood gaping at her. Neither stopping her or saying anything as she walked out of the room.

* * *

 _A/N  
Happy Friday! I wanted to try and get this up before the weekend! This didn't help them much did it? But maybe it did? Serena's going to have to explain herself and her actions as well as answer some possibly tough questions. At least for her. Will she confess to knowing more? Will Heero lose his shit? Will Trowa's feeling change? Who knows!? Have to wait till the next chapter! Next time on TC..._

 _Hahaha, sorry couldn't help myself. With every new little thing that happens, Serena is forced in one way other another to open up. She is truly their own lead and she's the only one who can truly help them. Other's do know this but will Heero see that? I think we'll start to see another change in Serena as well, even when she's questioning herself. She has her own plan that we don't fully know about, but could upcoming events change her mind? Okay going to stop there! I could go on but then that might ruin some things._

 _I hope you all have a great weekend! Until next time :D_

 _-MM_


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty  
Motives**

Her mind was racing. A range of emotions flooding through her as she stood in the middle of office room. Anger, disappointment, fear. A glimpse of hope now only a shattered remain of what she thought would potentially be the break she needed.

Serena tried to keep her calm and collected posture intact, but Heero was doing anything but helping that.

"You gave her a gun!?" Heero shouted at Une. His eyes hard and his jaw clenched. Serena could feel the tension radiating from him.

"I gave her an unloaded weapon." Une corrected him as she folded her arms over her chest. A mask of indifference on her face. But her brown eyes screaming that she wasn't in the mood for this.

"Did you know about this!?" Heero turned to Trowa. Trowa only shook his head. He hadn't seen the exchange, but then again Serena had angled herself away from him before she went into the interrogation room.

"Serena requested it and I granted her permission." Une said calmly. "She got the information and that's all that matters. Edman isn't dead and can't use any of this against us. I see no harm in it."

"No harm!? She beat him and threatened his life!" Heero seethed.

"It's not the first time we've used these sort of tactics. Serena followed my orders, even if she did take it a little farther than I expected, but I cannot punish her for that."

"I'm not asking you to. I just want to know why you thought it was a smart idea to give her the damn gun in the first place? She could've easily obtained ammo and shot him on the spot!"

"She wouldn't do that." Trowa said in Serena's defense. Heero turned steel eyes on him. "Edman was after all our best lead besides herself. She knew we needed him and the information he held. She wouldn't be so foolish as to kill him." It was like they didn't even know she was in the room. Everyone talking about her but never seeing her.

"I wasn't going to kill him." Serena finally spoke up for herself. Her anger threatening to spill over. Trying she pushed it aside. She couldn't risk losing it. Not now.

"Then explain to me why you thought using a firearm was a smart idea!?" Heero turned angry eyes to her.

"I wanted to get the information from him." Serena held his eyes. "We got something."

"Like hell we did!" Heero threw up his arms, was no one listening? "Edman gave us nothing to help us find out where anyone or anything is!"

"That's not true. We know my suit is still on one of the satellites. We just need to figure out which one."

"That doesn't exactly help us, Serena." Heero leveled her with one of his glares. "What about Edwards? Why were you asking about him?"

"I wanted to know if he was alive or not." Serena shrugged trying to ignore the look Heero was giving her. While still continuing to play her role in pretending like nothing was wrong.

"Why?" Heero growled.

"Doesn't matter why. Gavin is the current leader." Serena hardened her eyes at him. "What we need to do if focus on finding my Gundam and hopefully that'll lead us to Gavin."

Heero was about to say something when Une cleared her throat. "Serena, do you know who this Gavin is?"

"Not as much as I'd like. My guess is after Edwards disappeared -two years ago- he stepped in as the leader. He's older and from what I understand has some military background but I don't know if he fought in any of the wars. I can't say I've met him personally but the name is familiar." Serena sighed inwardly. It was the truth but not of any help to their current situation.

"Do you have a first name we can use?" Une sighed as Serena shook her head.

"Like Edwards, he never went by a first name."

"How many others go by last names only?" Une lifted a brow at Trowa who had posed the question.

"Anyone who was of higher ranking was allowed to either drop their first name or simply never go by it. Officers working their way up had to use both first and last name. To be honest it's a system I never understood. Like most things…" Serena trailed off.

"So you're saying we're at a stand still as far as finding out any other members names?" Heero crossed his arms over his chest. Serena had dropped her gaze from everyone. A frown mirroring her displeasure.

"Unfortunately yes. But if we can find out how many satellites are within the L2 and L3 cluster we can start narrowing down the list more. From there we can…" Serena huffed as she folded her arms. Mimicking Heero's stance. "Look this isn't going to be easy and we're going to need time." Serena said as she brought her eyes to meet Une's. "Even if we find it, getting inside will be the hardest part. It'll be heavily guarded and to be honest I don't think we have enough people to just go rushing in there. There's a possibly that some of the Mobile Suits being held there as well. We'd be outnumbered."

"Then what are you suggesting?" Une asked as she folded her hands together, resting her chin on them.

"I don't know just yet. Once we find the location then I'll let you know." Serena turned her head away. She could feel her composure slipping.

Sighing Une leaned back in her chair. Dropping her hands into her lap. "Right. Now we won't be able to do much with the Charity Ball. All of this will have to wait until Monday."

"Shit." Serena mumbled.

"What was that, Lowell?"

"I want permission to attend the Ball." Serena turned back to Une, lifting her chin.

"No." Heero said sternly. "That's too much of a risk."

"Everything's a risk with you." Serena glared at him. "You're going to need more help and I can provide that help."

"Heero's right. It's too much of a risk if you were there. Who's to say we don't have members of congress who are affiliated with ROE?" Une said.

"That's why I should be there." Serena said strongly. Gritting her teeth, how foolish could they be not to assume that at least one person who was attending the Ball wasn't linked to ROE?

"I'm sorry, but no." Serena swung her head back to Heero. "You'd just be putting not only yourself in danger but other's as well. I can't allow that."

"But…"

"My answer is no." Heero cut her off. "End of discussion." His tone leaving no room for argument. Serena glared at him as she planted her hands on her hips. She didn't want to stand down but Heero's steel eyes telling her she had lost this battle.

Une rubbed her temples trying rid herself of an oncoming headache. "We'll resume this on Monday. In the meantime," Une started as she brought her gaze up. "Serena, I want you to keep working on finding the coordinates to where this satellite is. You have five days to present me with something. I think that's more than enough time."

Serena knew the meeting was over long ago. Une looked like she just wanted them out of her office, and Heero kept his firm stance on her not attending the Ball. "Fine. I'll continue to work on finding a location." She said.

Before Une could dismiss them, Serena turned on her heel heading for the door. Trowa glanced at her looking for their dismissal. Une just waved him on to follow Serena. Turning her eyes, she saw Heero sending her a look but she held up her hand to stop him from saying anything. "Right now there's nothing we can do. Just head back to your regular duties. I still expect your finalized security plans for this Ball by the end of the day."

Heero nodded his head before he too turned to leave.

* * *

Serena left Preventers headquarters without so much as a word to Trowa. She wasn't even concerned about who may have seen her as she walked through the halls, downs the stairs, and out the main entrance. Trowa had been walking steadily behind her till her feet hit the sidewalk. His words lost in the breeze as she continued walking down the street. She didn't want him driving her back, much less having to talk to him. In reality she didn't even want to be around him in that moment.

All she wanted was to be alone. Like she had always been.

Her mind was screaming at her that something wasn't right. Whether it was with herself or the whole situation she had been thrusted into.

Swimming thoughts passed through her as she tried to understand what was going on. Nothing was making sense to her. Even as she replayed the morning in her mind. She had tried to stay calm and collected as she could. Till the end at least. Then her anger boiled over. Serena didn't want to lash out at anyone. Or at least tried not to.

Leaving was the best option. Her only option.

She glanced back behind her making sure Trowa wasn't following her. With no sight of him she turned her head back and continued heading down the street. She knew the walk back to his apartment would be a good half hour depending on how fast she walked and the routes she took. Slowing her pace she pulled out her phone shutting it off before pocketing it.

She needed the time to think.

She was lying to herself once again that everything would be just fine as long as she kept up the act. Not letting her feelings get in the way of her responsibilities. Responsibilities she felt were hers and hers alone to bare. Everything that was happening around her was the result of her own actions. If she had never been found Preventers wouldn't have ever known about ROE, let alone her. She chose to disclose information to them about the group and herself. Was any of it worth it? Had she made the right decision?

Serena was fighting a war with herself. Both halves struggling for dominance. The one half that was who she truly was. Her sick demented side. The one that wanted nothing more than to tear apart Edman. Something had come over her and she knew what it was. What she was supposed to be, but she never fully took to the be obedient, strong and powerful, but only when told to be.

A fighter by nature and of creation. To never feel or think of others as equals of any kind. Because they weren't. She hated it, hated who she had become. Even when all her training and skills had proved useful, there was still the side of her that longed to be someone else. The other part of her that wanted to go back to the simpler times. Even as short lived as it was, she was still free to think for herself and do as she pleased. But now times were different and she was too.

None of her life's experience had ever prepared her for something like this. A life lived only to serve now had became the potential for a life she had always dreamed off. Was she even ready for something like this? Could she handle the repercussions of her actions and involvement with a group hell bent on destroying the very peace the world had been working so hard towards? Serena knew eventually all her secrets would come to light. Unless she did something and did something now. If she could just…

Shaking her head she tried to dispel the thoughts, only to have them come crashing back down on her. Edman had done nothing to help her or the agency. It wasn't hard for her to figure that out and Heero had as well. Serena knew her Gundam was going to be moved. She had heard the whispers about the final completion. J never said it outright to her, but she had known him too well and was able to read between the lines. The list of coordinates on the file Wufei had given her were just more cryptic clues as to where her Gundam was. Or potentially were something else was. Then again, it could only be one of J's games. But he always seemed to get the results he wanted.

Stopping at the crosswalk Serena took in her surroundings. Nameless faces of people standing all around her going about their daily lives. These people had no idea what would happen to them if Edwards plans came to fruition. Standing there she realized just how alone she truly was. Her mind already seeping back into itself. Did she choose the right path? To leave and try and stop Edwards and his men before they could have their chance at over taking the world. Or should she have stayed and tried to dispel them from the inside? She could've done it. Or died trying.

Why did she feel such a responsibility to these people? People she didn't even know, much less care about. She could be either their savior or their destroyer.

" _Only you are capable of such. Your choices from here on out will change the world as we know it."_ J's words rung loudly in her mind. She could change the world with the drop of a hat.

" _You will be feared by all who choose to fight against my ruling. You will be victorious in battle and will stand proudly by my side in the end as those fools bow before us. This is your destiny. Your true calling my dear."_ Edwards always dreamed big. But she never wanted the power. Even when it felt good to control...

A small child bumped into her as the group walked along the street breaking her from her thoughts of the past. The little boys big brown eyes stared up at her with worry. Did he think she's was going to scold him? Or maybe it was because of her own expression. Softening her face she smiled at him. He returned the smile before his mother apologized for him before the two made their way past her. A frown re-appearing on her face once they disappeared. Wasn't that why she was fighting along? To protect those who couldn't protect themselves?

Serena had always been fond of children. Even when she wasn't sure how to interact with one. They were the future. The next generation to decide how the world would be. Pure from malicious intents. They didn't judge or care who you were as long as you were kind. Serena half thought it was because she was never a child herself but for a short time she was able to view the world from a child's perspective. They saw the good in the smallest of things. Always happy and even when they were upset it never lasted long. She envied it in some ways. To be so carefree.

Serena had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. People walking around her, some mumbling that she needed to move out the way. She glanced around again staring at all the people passing by. While the world wasn't perfect and no one had the perfect life, they were still free to do as they pleased. To have lives and families. To have the ability to walk the streets without fear. Wasn't that what she had wanted for herself? And for these very individuals to continue to have the same freedom as they did now?

Serena turned her attention back to where she was heading as she began walking again. Her questions about her motives still at the forefront as she cut down a side street. She knew she could get back at the apartment in about ten minutes if she went through some of the back alleys.

But then she realized one small problem.

In her haste to leave HQ she didn't even bother getting the keys for the apartment from Trowa. Grumbling to herself she debated whether or not to turn around and head back, or give in and call him to come let her in.

She didn't have to debate long.

As she turned the corner and headed towards the building she noticed Trowa standing outside by the door waiting. He glanced up only when she came to stand in front of him.

"I can understand you being upset and not wanting to talk, but you should've at least taken the keys from me." Trowa said as he turned to unlock the door before turning back around to hand her the keys. "I do understand whether you think that I don't. I know you expected more from Edman and I do _understand_ why you want to be at the Ball, but unfortunately I have to side with Heero on this."

Serena's face fell. How was it he was able to see right through her? "I can provide extra protection along with finding out if any of the senators are in fact members of Edwards."

"I know you can. No one is doubting that Serena. We're more concerned about _if_ someone recognizes you. Heero has a valid point, we'd be risking too much if you were exposed." Trowa leaned against the door as he held it open for her.

"I can disguise myself enough so no one would know who I am. I don't have have any distinct markings on my body." Serena crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I know. But it's still too much of a risk Serena." She saw the frown on his face as she turned away. "Look, I'm just happy you made it home safely. We can talk more about this later."

Serena took a few steps towards the open door before she felt a hand touch her lower back. "What?" She asked not bothering to turn around to face him.

She heard Trowa sigh before she felt him pull away his hand. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah." Serena said as she made her way into the building.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Thursday? Yes today is Thursday hahaha. Yes I had to think about that. I would've posted this yesterday but yesterday was a very special day. My little girl turned four years old! I should've wrote a one shot about it but I was too busy trying to edit this chapter. Maybe I still can? No, I need to finish editing the other one I have that I have YET to upload. I'll get around to it sometime. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this kind of crazy all over the place mind set of Serena. I really wanna focus more on everyone and give them each chapters that are solely about them. Get back into their minds and see how they're feeling and thinking. I haven't forgotten about the dinner party, no worries! I have a nice section of it called "Girl Talk." Mwhahahah wonder what'll be talked about!? I'm going to keep moving along getting these chapters out and getting to the "good" stuff. I still have some things I have yet to reveal! Also did anyone catch that Serena and Heero question EVERYTHING!? Hahaha To be honest I found this hysterical as I was writing out this chapter more. I do personally see them as one in the same, but Serena is still different. Almost a version of Heero who's slightly more outgoing. Simply put it, I like my OC a lot._

 _Alight enough talking on my end! Time to get back to editing! Let's hope I can get another one up this weekend ;)!_

 _-MM_


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One  
** **Don't Lose Focus**

Heero had been spending more time going over the morning than he was actually doing work. He was starting to believe that Serena was dropped into his life to cause him more stress than he already had. He'd go from being somewhat content with her presence to outright furious with her. They were too much alike which only added to the conflict he felt between them and he was convinced that she felt it too.

He was trying, as best as he could, to control himself around her but she always managed to press some button in him to that set him off. He kept trying to see her as everyone else had but he just couldn't. There was more to her that others weren't seeing. And he was going to find out what it was.

When his phone began to buzz in his pocket he glanced at Relena as she was on a conference call. Their eyes locked as he lifted his phone. Relena nodded her head before turning her attention back to the papers that were scattered over her desk. Going over figures with one of the representatives from L3. Heero made his way to the door as he brought his phone to his ear. "Yuy."

" _I didn't think you'd answer."_ Trowa's voice sounded with amusement. " _Are you busy?"_

Heero stood just off to the side of Relena's office door. Relena's assistant Jill eyeing him with one brow raised. "No, what do you need?"

" _I wanted to inform you that Serena's beating herself up pretty good over what happened this morning."_

"So? She should be. She was out of line."

" _I think you're missing the point here, Heero. She's probably not as upset about how she acted like you are but rather the lack of information she got from Edman. You only added more fuel to the fire by going off on her."_

Heero huffed slightly. Why was Trowa once again taking her side and defending her? "I didn't notice anything different about her to suggest this."

" _That's because you were looking and not_ seeing _. She's just as disappointed as you and everyone else is, but you need to back off some. You can't always be so harsh with her. She's trying her best to help and we_ all _know it's difficult enough when you don't have all the information. She_ doesn't _have this information and it's enough to make every blow we receive harder to swallow. She spends more time working on everything thrown at her than she does just sitting around on her ass."_

Heero frowned as he thought over what Trowa was saying to him. "I still don't trust her."

" _I think you should. She's not who you think she is. Serena has a good heart and her heart is in the right place. She wants to help and you need to let her. She's risking everything by helping us and all of us know this but you. If you don't believe me you can ask them yourself."_

"I do know. I never said that I didn't, but I think _all_ of you are forgetting who she was created by. It's enough for me to doubt her intentions."

" _And I can understand that, but she's not_ you _or_ J _. She's her own person and you need to start viewing her as one. All I'm asking is that you take it easier on her. Last night you two were civil while speaking to each other, if you continue to do that I think you'd start seeing what we all see in her."_

"Yeah." Heero growled slightly as he heard Trowa laugh.

" _Maybe I should correct my previous statement. She_ is _you."_

"And this is why I have doubts. I know what she's capable of."

" _Lighten up Yuy. She sounds like you at times and sometimes acts like you but she's still different. Just be nice her alright?"_

"Yeah, I'll try and remember to do that." Heero deadpanned before he hung up. While normally he didn't mind receiving advice from Trowa, this was one topic he still struggled with. But maybe Trowa had a point. He did after all spend the most time with Serena.

Pocketing his phone, Heero went back into Relena's office. She was still on her conference call but she had smiled at him as he entered. Shutting the door he made his way back to the small couch and coffee table he had been using as his office. Sitting down he rand a hand through his bangs, only to have them fall back into his eyes.

Heero recalled the morning once again in his mind. Serena had been staring at Edman when he first saw her, but that could've been related to the fact that she knew who he was. When she came into the room she had kept her body language masked when she had first been questioning Edman. Even when his own senses were telling him something wasn't right, that's when things changed.

Serena had at first tried to intimidate Edman but in the end she had been successful with whatever she had said to him.

Heero's eyes narrowed as he went over the last part of the interrogation. She said something to Edman that had completely changed the way he responded to her. It had to be something she had on him. Or some soft of information only they knew. Whatever it was it _had_ worked since he started talking. Then it hit him.

Heero sat up straight in his seat. Serena had asked about Edwards. The way she had spoken his name, almost as if she was disgusted by just saying it, had to be what triggered her. Not to mention the fact Edman couldn't give her the location of her Gundam. But Edwards…

Leaning forward he folded his hands together, as he rested his elbows on his knees. Heero tried to think of a logical reason as to why Serena would be asking about him. He could understand if it was due in part to what his original plan was, but that only brought him back to why she hadn't come forward early or tried to stop them herself sooner. Shaking his head he tried to refocus. He couldn't be bring up old questions like that. He needed to think of _why_ she would want this information now.

Could she be planning to eliminate him? _Possibly_. Heero thought to himself. It made the most sense as to why she would be upset.

Sitting back Heero went through a list of other possibilities. All potentially could be the reason for Serena feeling the way she was. " _You're looking but not seeing."_ Trowa's words sounded in his head. What if he wasn't listening? He heard her whenever they spoke, regardless if they were arguing with each other, but was he truly listening to her?

No, he wasn't.

Trowa was right. In more ways than one. He needed to try harder to be " _civil"_ as Trowa put it towards Serena. Maybe then he'd be able to get the information he _needed_ to fully decide if she was truly trying to help them or not.

Sighing Heero rubbed at his temples. He was already starting to think of other reasons for why Serena was with them. But he couldn't ignore the fact he still felt uneasy. That and the voice of his subconscious was agreeing with him. The only difference was that it was telling him to worry about Serena's well being more than anything else.

* * *

Serena sat in front of her computer once again debating herself. All she had to do was hit the enter key and the call would be placed. But that meant giving in and possibly shattering her pride. Gritting her teeth she slammed the screen shut. She couldn't admit to herself that she needed help. That she needed _his_ help. She also couldn't deal with the fact that J may only send her on another wild goose chase.

 _It's his fault._ Serena thought to herself.

She could do this. She could find her Gundam, destroy the other mobile suits and the base, then go after Edwards and kill him once and for all. She knew he was still alive, somewhere. Her skin would still randomly crawl at time. She knew he was alive still. Reaching her hand up she felt the back of her neck, running her fingers along her spine. A constant reminder of him.

She would find a way to kill him for everything he had done to her. A vow she had silently made to herself before...

Serena was so lost in thought that when she felt a hand touch her shoulder she immediately jumped from her seat grabbing the arm and twisting, hard. Her face paled as she recognized the person whose arm she was holding hostage. "Trowa!" She screeched while dropping his arm. Her hands flying to her mouth. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't know it was you."

"It's okay." Trowa said as he rubbed his arm. "It's my fault, I'm sorry. I only said your name once before approaching." He smiled softly at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Why are you apologizing for something I did!?" Serena stared at him wide eyed. "I could've dislocated your shoulder or worse broken your arm." When had he come home? Serena glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost five thirty. Had she really been sitting there all afternoon?

"But you didn't, so no harm done. But you're avoiding my question." Trowa said as he moved to the refrigerator, grabbing a water from it.

"Everything's fine." Serena frowned at him. How could he be acting so casual? He always seemed to end up being on the wrong end of her fist and now she had almost broken his arm.

"Liar." Trowa said pointing to her. "Are you still upset about earlier?"

Serena sighed as she moved to sit back down. "How is it that you can see right through me?" She glanced at him when he came to sit next to her.

"They say the eyes are the gateway to someone's soul."

"I'm not sure I understand" Serena frown deepened as he chuckled.

"Your eyes show me what you're thinking as well as how you're feeling. But also your body language is a dead giveaway at times too."

"Whole lot of good my training was if you can pick up on things like that." Serena turned away crossing her arms over her chest. She was slipping, of Trowa was able to read her then that could mean anyone else could.

"I was trained as well. But I think you're forgetting that I'm an observer. It's my job to look for these things. But I do have to admit you're very good at counseling yourself." Serena glanced at him before turning to fully face him.

"Then what do my eyes tell you now?" Trowa sat up a little straighter as he looked directly into her eyes.

"I see that you're still bothered by what happened this morning."

"I think you're just starting the obvious. I'm pretty sure we both know I'm not happy about the outcome." Serena deadpanned.

"Yes, but I also see that you're worried, maybe even afraid of something. Does it have anything to do with you potentially staying here?"

Serena gaze tightened. She had thought about it. Especially after he had brought it up the night before, in _bed_. She knew it was something he was going to eventually ask her. "I don't know what I want." Part of her wanted to stay. She was comfortable. Even comfortable being with him. It was a change from what she was used to and in some ways it was what she had wanted, but she was afraid. Afraid of the truth. But was it worth the risk?

"What do mine show you?" Trowa asked breaking through her thoughts. Serena stared at him before averting her gaze. "Serena…"

"You want me to stay." Serena said. Keeping her eyes trained on the top of her laptop. "I don't know if that's something I can do."

"What do you mean?"

"When the future is unknown, I can't say for sure if I'll still be around. There are certain things that I need to take care of before I can truly find my place in this world. Depending on the outcome of everything, I may not be able to stay." Serena finally turned to back to face him. Trowa had a deep set frown on his face. "Trowa… you have to understand I wasn't created to fulfill a life of a normal person. I have responsibilities that only I can fulfill."

"I do understand, but you don't have to do them alone." Serena shook her head. "Serena, you have people willing to help."

"It's not that simple." Serena sighed. "There's just some things I need to do myself."

"You can't do everything yourself."

"Yes I can and I will." Serena stood up abruptly. Trowa held his hands up trying to calm her.

"Let's just drop the subject. We don't have to discuss it further." Looking around the kitchen he noted that Serena hadn't made them any dinner. "Why don't we go out for dinner?" Trowa asked as he turned back to her.

"How can you just drop a topic of conversation like it's nothing and act like it doesn't bother you?" Serena's eyes hardened as she spoke.

"Because I know you better than you think I do. Not to mention people tend to speak when they're ready and there's no point in pushing someone unless absolutely necessary. You're not ready to talk so we won't." Serena's mouth opened before it shut. She couldn't argue his logic. Trowa nodded his head in understanding. "So how about dinner then?"

"Trowa…" Serena sighed. This was another thing she couldn't figure out. She had gone from being on edge to calm in a matter of moments just being in his presence. Her guard was starting to waver more. "I'd rather stay in if that's alright?"

"Then take out it is." Trowa said standing up. Leaning down he kissed her on the lips and she selfishly excepted the warm feeling starting to course through her. "What would you like?" Trowa asked as he pulled away.

"Pizza." Serena smiled softly up at him.

* * *

Trowa left to pick up the pizza and a case of beer. He wasn't sure if Serena would drink the beer or not but he didn't mind having some himself. It had been a long day and he had been trying to keep his distance with her on what happened with Edman. He didn't want to push her away and have her close herself off to him. It was a fine line he knew he was walking but in the end he saw that could be worth everything.

Serena was extraordinary in his eyes, in almost everything she did. She was kind and funny. Duo was right about one thing, she definitely could make you laugh. Even when she didn't understand how. But she had given him a run for his money a few times. She was sweet when she wanted to be but she could also be one of the toughest people you had ever met. It wasn't necessarily a bad aspect about her. She was strong not just physically but mentally, which was something Trowa found intriguing about her.

Her personality was like a breath of fresh air to him. When she'd smile at him, he couldn't help the butterflies that filled his stomach. Or the way she's push some of her hair behind her ears when she spoke his name softly. To him she was perfect, and that still hadn't changed. Even as he saw more sides to her. Then again she was under a great amount of stress. They all were, but she still managed to pull herself back into the Serena he had come to know and appreciate.

The care free girl who smiled and laughed unabatedly. The girl who was currently sitting on the floor with him eating pizza and drinking beer. Talking about nothing and everything. He wondered at times like this how he had gotten so lucky to have met someone like her.

Trowa smiled to himself as he listened to her laughter. She always had a glow to her skin after that made her look even more beautiful than she already was. His eyes followed her hand as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. A soft smile on her lips.

"You're staring." Serena said softly.

"It's hard not to." Trowa countered as he took a sip of his beer. "Especially when someone so beautiful is sitting across from me." He watched as her face colored in a light blush.

"If you're trying to sweep me off my feet, you may want to try harder." Serena smiled mischievously at him before taking a sip of her own beer.

Trowa's smile widen as he imagined them doing this more often. Just the two of them enjoying each other. This was the type of girl he had always wanted. One who he could have serious conversations with but also be able to relax and just enjoy the moments like this together.

Standing up Trowa offered her his hand. She looked up at him puzzled. "Then I'll try harder."

Slowly she took his hand with questioning eyes. Trowa moved them away from the coffee table as he placed a hand on the small of her back while holding her other hand. He waited as she brought up her arm, placing her hand on his forearm before he started to move. Guiding them in a slow waltz. Even without music Serena followed his lead. Her eyes watching him as they circled the living room.

"I wasn't expecting to dance." She commented as he twirled her around.

"You told me to sweep you off your feet." Trowa smirked as Serena laughed when she came back around to face him.

"So you thought that this was the way to do it?"

"I could always just pick you up." Trowa said before he lifted her into his arms. "Is this more to your liking?"

Serena smiled at him before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I didn't know you could dance."

"A simple waltz is easy to learn. I'm not personally a fan of dancing, but with you I would." She smiled up at him before pressing her lips to his in a gentle kiss. Trowa lowered her back to the ground resuming their positions.

They danced around the room till they slowed their pace to swaying in each other's arms. Serena had placed her head on his chest and even without music Trowa had been enjoying just holding her. She fit perfectly against him and his body relaxed even more as she tightened her arms around him. Smiling to himself he thought of something else to make the evening even better.

"Will you sing for me?" Trowa asked softly.

"I don't sing for people." Serena said as she pulled away from him. Her facial features tightening.

"Not even for me?" Trowa frown when she shook her head.

"I just don't… not anymore."

"Why?"

"Doesn't matter why." Serena snapped before turning away from him.

Trowa reached out trying to pull her closer to him once again only to have her back away towards the couch. "Serena." He said trying to gain her attention but she was already sitting with her eyes closed and arms folded over her chest. "I didn't mean to make you upset by my request."

When no response came Trowa sighed as he joined her. The chances of the night ending with them tangled up in bed were most likely gone. Trowa could tell by her body language that she had no desire in even speaking to him. Frowning after a few minutes of silence Trowa turned to retrieve his beer from the table. Bring the bottle to his mouth he was about to take a sip when he heard something to his right.

Snapping his head back around he was expecting to see Serena looking at him, or at the very least that her eyes would be open, but she kept them close. Her voice was low and sultry as she started to sing. His eyes never left her even as he placed his beer back down. Slowly opened her eyes before stopping.

"Don't stop." Trowa said softly. Serena's cheeks reddened as she turned her head away.

"I don't sing for anyone." Came her own soft response. She pulled her legs up onto the couch as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Trowa debated on whether or not to push her to continue, but as he was about to say something she turned to look at him. "Sorry."

Trowa saw the regret in her eyes, she had opened up more than he was expecting her to. If he were to be honest, he wasn't expecting her to sing at all. Even though he had hoped he could hear her voice again. Deciding against pushing her more than he already had, he simply smiled at her. "It's alright. I still enjoyed listening."

Serena sighed as she stood up. "We should probably clean up. Plus I have some work to do."

"You're not planning to stay up all night are you?" Trowa asked as he stood to help her.

"No. I just wanna look at the locations J left." Serena shrugged her shoulders as she moved into the kitchen with their plates. "Maybe I'll see something I didn't notice."

"I'm than happy to help you."

Serena turned to lean against the counter. Shaking her head she smiled at him. "Something's I don't think I'll ever understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Trowa asked as she walked by him.

"Nothing. Just grab me another beer and come join me." She winked at him from over her shoulder. Trowa shook his own head as he grabbed two more for them before making his way back to the couch where Serena had set up her laptop.

He saw the twinkle in her eyes as he sat back down handing her the beer. "Now let's see how much work we _actually_ get done."

"Challenged accepted." Trowa smirked as Serena laughed before leaning over kissing her on the lips.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Monday!_

 _Almost Tuesday. ;). I just wanted to get this chapter up and out of the way, at least for myself so I can get back to focusing on the dinner party and Ball. Just a few more things and those chapters are ready to go! Hope everyone had a good Monday and if it's Tuesday, I hope your Tuesday is going well so far!_

 _-MM_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two**  
 **Girl Talk**

Thursday came and went without much of a change. Serena had been working hard to pinpoint a location but nothing was turning up. She even called Wufei to verify known locations of Satellites and other objects such as debris still floating around in space from the wars. She was starting to wonder why J would leave such random coordinates that only lead to nothing but empty space. _Literally_.

Serena couldn't understand and thought maybe she had been missing something. She went as far as to call Heero asking for his help. She knew at various points during A.C 196 Heero had hidden Zero, but those locations weren't known to her in detail. Heero had tried his best to help her brainstorm different ideas and possibilities but in the end he wasn't able to help much without being able to physically see the coordinates. He only told her that come Monday they'll figure something out if she couldn't find anything by then.

But the only problem was that by Monday she needed something for Une.

Friday morning she had spent most of it going over the interrogations that had already been completed. Someone had to have slipped up out of fear for being caught, but it seemed that everyone was tight lipped about the operations of ROE. Serena had buried her head in her hands thinking back to Watson. He had gone off the deep end and was most likely their best shot at finding out anything, but he was dead. She could request another interview with Edman. Though she was starting to doubt her abilities to get any more information than she had already. There was only so many times she could threaten him and play the only card she still held up her sleeve before Edman would realize she was bluffing. That only left her with one alternative.

To contact J.

Serena was about to give in and ask for help when her phone rang. Possibly saving her the embarrassment of having to tell her mentor that she was failing at the very thing she was created to do. Checking the caller ID she saw that Relena was calling. Possibly about her dinner party that night or about something else entirely. Serena hadn't spoken to her in a day. Bracing herself for the unknown, she answered.

* * *

Relena had surprised her by calling to ask if there was anything special she wanted. Whether it be food or wine. Serena had told her that whatever was made was fine only to be laughed at and told that Heero had said the same thing. Serena in the end had offered to make a dessert and was told to make two, to be on the safe side. Duo, from what Relena had informed her of could eat a whole dessert to himself.

So there she was standing in the kitchen making Apple Crisp. Two to be exact. She had already run to the store and even bought two nice glass dishes to make and bring the desserts in. Luckily for her there was a rather large grocery store only a few blocks away. The one she tended to go to since she wasn't exactly allowed to go too far. Une may have given her some freedom but it wasn't like she could go too far unaccompanied. Serena mostly stayed within a three mile radius of the apartment and informed Une and Heero each time she left.

Serena had been busy peeling the apples when she heard the front door open. Turning her head sharply she held the knife tightly, ready to use if necessary. Trowa walked in meeting her eyes before a confused look passed over his face. "Planning on stabbing something?"

Serena looked down and saw how she was holding the knife. Looking back up as he came to stand next to her she set the knife down. "No, not anymore at least." She smirked. "I didn't know you were on your way."

"I sent you a message. I'm done with work for the day."

Serena frowned before looking around for her phone. "I must have left my phone in my coat pocket."

"You went out I see." Trowa said as he eyed the pile of apples and baking ingredients on the counter.

"I'm making Apple Crisp for tonight." Serena said as she came back out of their bedroom. "Sorry I missed your message. I just wanted to get these in the oven."

"I didn't know you could bake." Trowa smiled at her. "I know you can cook, but now I'm more impressed."

Serena laughed lightly as she went back to peeling and slicing the apples. "I can at least can feed myself and others. Rations aren't the most preferable to eat but when you don't need to be watching what and how much you eat I prefer to eat real foods."

"Who taught you?"

"J." Serena said as she placed the slices of apple in a bowl. "It was easier for me to learn to cook and to make our meals than for him. That and I enjoyed making our meals." Serena stopped as she realized she had giving out the information freely. She rarely told him about her past in detail. If Trowa had noticed he wasn't giving it away.

"Do you want any help?"

Snapping herself out of her thoughts she turned to face him. "Do you know how to make it?"

"No, but you can show me." Trowa smiled at her as he slipped off his jacket and washed his hands.

Fourth-five minutes later both dishes were in the oven to bake and the kitchen was tidied up. Serena had premeasured everything before she started but had gone over all the ingredients with him. Trowa had helped with the apples and laying them in the glass dishes. Serena had made the topping crumble while he added the sugar and water to the apple slices. Over all she was pleased. If he hadn't of helped it would've taken her longer with the amount of apples that needed to be cut and peeled.

With more than enough time to get ready both headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready.

Serena had found a spot on the counter in the bathroom to sit and do her makeup. She did her makeup daily but it was never anything extravagant. There was no reason to but she enjoyed wearing some. Or it was just programmed into her to do so. Trowa had gone off to get dressed as she opted to just throw on one of his shirts for the time being. It was something she had been doing more of lately. They were large enough to cover her and more often than not they smelt like him. It was comforting to her in some ways. Almost making her feel safe for the first time in her life.

* * *

Trowa leaned himself against the doorframe watching her. She was applying her mascara seeming oblivious to him as she was singing softly to her. Her hair was pulled up onto of her head as she hadn't wanted it to get wet while they showered. His shirt covered most of her, but he could see the top of her thigh sticking out as she turned herself to face the mirror better. It was hard for him not stare at her, to admire her. There were still so many unknowns about her but slowly they were fading as time went on. He didn't need to know her past, all he cared about was who she was now.

"I know you're standing there." She called out to him as she finished applying her mascara.

Trowa looked up into the mirror to see her eyes trained on him. "So you were aware of me?" Her lips curled up before she hopped off the counter.

"Your footsteps may be muffled by the carpet but it doesn't mean I can't feel your eyes on me." Serena said as she let her hair down. "I'll be done in just a few minutes."

Trowa moved to stand behind her. "Are you alright going to Heero and Relena's?" Their eyes locked as she looked at him in the mirror.

"Why are you asking?"

"You and Heero can't get into an argument tonight. As tempting as it may be."

"I'm well aware of that. I wouldn't subject Relena to one of our matches. Though I do believe it's 2-0." Trowa chuckled as her smile widen.

"I'm just making sure." Bending down he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sure _you'll_ be on your best behavior." The corners of his lips curling up.

"And _you_ know that we're not supposed to act like we're together, right?"

"Doesn't mean once we're in the car I can't."

"And I thought I was bad." Serena rolled her eyes playfully at him. "Now let me finish so we can leave." Trowa dropped his arms backing away from her. Giving her one last smile he walked back out of the bathroom heading to the kitchen to finish getting the desserts ready.

* * *

Serena held on of the glass dishes while Trowa held the other as they waited for someone to answer the door. The drive over to Heero and Relena's had only taken them around twenty minutes with traffic. They all lived relatively close to each other but Trowa had picked an apartment on the opposite side of the city from where Heero had.

"He's probably got the whole house wired." Serena mused as she looked up at the two story townhouse. "Probably the yard too."

Trowa chuckled from her side. "He does. All motion sensored with video surveillance."

"Doesn't surprise me." Serena shrugged. "Though the door camera's could be hidden better." Trowa lifted a brow before looking around the door. Spotting two; one in each corner.

"They're well hidden. You'd have to know that those are fake panels."

"To the untrained eye yes. I'm just saying I'd personally have them in a different location."

Serena glanced at him as he opened his mouth to speak before the door opened. Turning his head Trowa saw Heero standing with a slight scowl on his face.

"I hope you know I heard all of that." Heero said gruffly.

"I know." Serena smiled brightly at him before lifting the dish she was holding. "I brought Apple Crisp." Heero eyed the dish in her hands before looking over to Trowa. "It's safe if that's what you're thinking." Serena's smile widen.

"It's clean." Trowa said as he lifted his fish slightly. "I helped her make it."

Heero eyed both of them before stepping to the side to allow them in. "We're in the kitchen."

Serena stepped in first, bowing her head slightly in thanks as she passed by him. Trowa following close behind. He was about to direct Serena to where the kitchen was when they heard Duo's laughter. As they stepped over the threshold all conversation stopped as Duo announced their arrival.

"About damn time you two showed up!" Duo said as he held up his beer, tipping it in their direction. "Hey what's that!?"

"Dessert." Relena said walking up to Serena, taking the dish from her. "Thank you for making these Serena." Relena smiled brightly before turning to place the dish on the counter. Trowa stepped around placing the one he was hold down.

"You're welcome." Serena said before she turned her eyes to the only other occupant in the room she had yet to meet. Hilde stood next to Duo staring with her head slightly tilted.

"Holy shit she does look like Heero."

"Told you babe!" Duo took a sip of his beer, smiling behind the rim. "She's Yuy, just a better version of him."

Heero grunted causing Serena to swing her head around. He had been standing just behind. "Watch yourself Maxwell." Heero said as he walked around her.

"Yeah yeah, empty threats." Duo waved a hand. "Alright let's get this introduction over with. Hilde, Serena. Serena, Hilde." Duo gustard with his hands. "Now you've met her, happy babe?"

"Not just yet. You've known her longer and talk to her more." Hilde glared at Duo before she moved to stand in front of Serena. "Nice to meet you!" Hilde extended her hand out. Serena glanced down before returning her eyes to Hilde's. "Don't tell me you don't know that it's rude not to shake someone else's hand?"

"How much has Duo told you about me?" Serena's brow's furrowed slightly. Hilde laughed as she slapped Serena on the shoulder.

"More than you know. I knew you weren't going to shake my hand, you don't know me "personally" yet."

"I was going to." Hilde's eyebrows shot up. "I was just curious to know how much you knew about me." Serena said as she extended her hand. "And it's nice to finally meet you."

Hilde looked down at Serena's hand before looking back up to meet her blue eyes. A smile slowly crept onto her face as she lifted her arms throwing them around Serena. "Tonight is going to hands down amazing! We're going to have so much fun! I've been waiting forever to meet you!"

Serena was taken off guard by Hilde's enthusiasm and the hug itself had she standing in place. Relena had hugged her before and she had finally accepted Trowa's embraces and even looked forward to when he'd hold her. But from others she was still uneasy about the close contact. Knowing it was customary to return the embrace, Serena lightly hugged Hilde back, even though she felt awkward doing so.

"I'm happy you two finally got to meet." Relena said after Hilde had finally let go of Serena. "Dinners about done so why don't we all take our seats. I also have wine." Relena winked at both girls.

Serena's brow lifted slightly. She wasn't sure how the dinner would go or whether or not she truly comfortable enough sitting through it. Relena had been excited and had been looking forward to it, because of this Serena was determined to put on her best face and please the other woman. More so out of respect and the fact that she knew Heero wasn't trilled based on his stance and the look he was sending her. Smiling Serena nodded her head while Hilde threw her arm around her neck.

"Let's eat! I know Duo's been somewhat good waiting." Hilde laughed as she brought Serena to the dining room located just off the kitchen.

Trowa pulled out a chair for her. Serena thanked him quietly as she sat down across from the short haired girl who had turned her attention to Duo. Trowa took the seat to her right and as Serena glanced around she noticed that the guys were sitting on one side of the oval table while the girls sat on the other. Heero and Relena had brought all the dishes to the table and once they were seated Relena announced that it was time to eat.

Serena ended up finding herself engrossed in conversation with Relena and Hilde as they ate. Maybe the wine was helping her to loosen up or it was because she was enjoying herself. Her body had relaxed and she found herself smiling often. Glancing around she saw Duo and Trowa talking before she caught Heero's eye. He quickly averted his gaze leaving her to feel as if he still didn't trust her. She didn't blame him, but she wasn't looking to harm any of them. At least she was trying to not. If her plans held together none of their lives would be risked and ROE would be taken down once and for all.

Serena turned her her attention back to the conversation Hilde and Relena were having when she felt something graze her leg. Glancing to her right she saw Trowa's hand come up from under the table. At first she was angry that he had risked such a move especially when Heero was watching her closely. But as she looked in Heero direction he was talking to Duo. His eyes rolling at whatever comment Duo had made. It seemed that Trowa had noticed Heero watching or he wouldn't have taken the chance. Or at least Serena had hoped he wouldn't have. Whatever the case she decided to let go of it. Not like they could discuss it at very moment.

After dinner, Serena helped Relena clean up and serve the Apple Crisp she had made. Relena had poured the girls more wine, leaving the bottle while Duo went to grab a few more beers for the guys. Heero had finally accepted one after Duo badgered him which only causing some laughing from everyone else. Heero shooting each of them a look before taking a sip of beer.

"Wow Rena this looks amazing! And you made two of them!?" Duo rubbed his hands together as he eyed Relena cutting into the dessert.

"Yes, I was told to make sure there was extra."

"So that means I can take some home?" Duo looked to Relena.

"If there's any left." Relena laughed as she served him a piece. "I'll be nice and let you have the first piece." Duo's smiled widen as he dug his fork in, taking a bit.

"This is so good!" Duo said around mouth fulls. Serena shook her head, much like the rest of them. Relena was right in telling her to make a second dish. Duo alone could eat one to himself.

* * *

After dessert was had and the table cleared everyone had moved back into the kitchen. Relena and Hilde sat down at a small table just off to the side of the large island while Duo and Trowa were outside on the back porch. Heero had pulled Serena off to the side informing her that she was to watch both Relena and Hilde while they were outside. Serena found it odd but nodded her head in understanding. Once Heero had joined Duo and Trowa, Serena sat down next to Relena. Another glass of wine being thrusted into her hands.

Serena thought that they were going to pick up where they had left off before about some trip Relena was taking to L2 in a few weeks. But it seemed as though the girls had other plans.

"Now that the guys are gone let's get into the good stuff." Hilde said while Relena giggled from behind her glass of wine. Serena tried to recall how many Relena had already had while she had been there.

"You know I've always wondered how big Trowa is." Hilde said after taking a sip of her drink.

"I'm curious myself." Relena said. Serena swore she could've died in that moment. Trying desperately not to choke on her own drink.

"Hey Serena, you're staying with him. Do you know what he's hiding underneath those pants of his?" Hilde winked at her.

 _Yes,_ Serena thought to herself as she coughed. "What?"

Hilde lifted a brow at her. "Have you ever… oh I don't know ever seen Trowa walk around naked?" Serena's eyes growing wide as she continued. "I mean you two have been living together for a little while now. We've all seen Trowa shirtless… but naked…" Hilde paused for a moment. "I bet he's on the bigger side."

If Serena's eyes could grow any wider they would've sprouted wings. "No I haven't." She couldn't understand how this became the topic of conversation. "Why are you even talking about this?"

Relena and Hilde glanced at each other before looking back at her. "This is girl talk. You know where we talk about stuff, just us _girls_." Hilde said.

Serena turned pleading eyes to Relena. But Relena was anything but helpful. Her cheeks were flushed and she had the same confused look on her face as Hilde. _Damn wine_ , Serena cursed to herself. "I don't think I understand."

"Well let me ask you this. Have you ever wanted to know what Trowa was hiding under his clothes?" Hilde pointed towards where the guys were standing on the deck.

 _Yes and I know 'what's hidden.'_ Serena knew she was going crazy at this point. She was talking to herself. Mentally she slapped herself. How much wine had she had? "No."

"You're a liar. Relena tell her she's a liar." Hilde narrowed her eyes. "There's no way you've never thought about it. Never took an extra long look at him."

Relena shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry Serena, but Hilde does make a valid point. I know we talk daily, but.." Relena bit her lip. "Have you?"

Serena's mouth opened before shutting. She couldn't believe what was going on. "What about Duo and Heero?"

"What about them?" Both girls asked before laughing.

"I'm married to that idiot. God knows I love him, but it doesn't mean that I can't look. Trowa's a catch, eye candy." Hilde said while waving her hand.

"Serena, you know how I feel about Heero." Relena shook her head. "Just because we talk about things doesn't mean we want to do things with other people. It's harmless, I promise." Relena offered her one of her smiles.

"You wanna know how Duo is?" Hilde asked, watching as Serena's face paled.

"I'm all set. Thanks… in fact I don't ever want to know anything about either of them." Serena said before downing the rest of her drink. Relena had quickly taken the glass refilling it before placing it back in front of her.

"So you wouldn't want to know how Heero's treating Relena in the sack?"

"Hilde!" Relena squealed. Serena practically fell off her chair when the door to the deck opened as Heero stepped inside.

"Everything okay?" His brow lifting as he looked at them.

"Everything's fine! Just some girl talk!" Hilde waved a hand at Heero. "Go have your guy time. We're good here!" Heero nodded his head before turning back around heading back outside. Serena wanted to groan. Heero might have been her only way out of this conversation and for once he didn't question matters further.

"Hilde you shouldn't say stuff like that!" Relena giggled from behind her hand.

"Well don't you think Serena has the right to know if Heero's treating you good?"

"She knows Heero treats me with respect."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know that!" Hilde laughed. Serena groaned as she tried to block out the conversation. Til Hilde asked her another question… "So Serena… where's the craziest place you've ever had sex?"

"What!?" Serena sat up straighter in her seat.

"You have had sex before right?" Hilde asked.

"Hilde that's a little too personal. Serena you don't…"

"Omg you're a virgin aren't you!? No wonder this topic has been so embarrassing for you!" Hilde blurted out, cutting Relena off.

"Hilde!" Relena hissed. "It's none of our business… Serena I'm sorry if this is bothering you."

Serena looked between the two. She was pretty sure her face was giving everything away. "To answer your questions, no I am not a virgin. Two, I'm more confused on how this is all still "girl talk." And third, honestly I don't share that kind information." Serena saw both girls mouth drop open. It seemed her response had momentarily paused the conversation.

"So… would you sleep with Trowa then?" Hilde ventured. "I mean you're single from what Duo's told me."

Relena looked between them. Hilde held a questioning look on her face while Serena's eyes had grown wide again. But then something got to her and she couldn't help herself. "Would you?"

Serena swung her eyes to Relena. _This isn't happening._ "I…" Serena paused trying to figure out how to defuse the situation.

"Oh my god!" Hilde squealed. "You would!?" Hilde looked to Relena who had mirrored her own expression. She knew Relena was thinking the same thing.

"I…" Serena tried again before Hilde jumped in.

"Wait… you two haven't already slept together have you?" Hilde watched Serena's face changed from confused to flustered to a mask of indifference.

Relena gasped before covering her mouth with her hand. "You have, haven't have you!?"

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you've both have had enough to drink for one night."

Hilde groaned. "Don't be like Heero, please? So you've slept with him, big deal. What we really wanna know is how big he is and if he's any good in bed?"

Serena must of made some sort of face or it was because she had actually fallen off her chair this time. She wasn't sure as the two started to laugh. Serena glared at them before deciding enough was enough. "No we haven't spelt together, and no I don't plan to sleep with him. As far as how " _big_ " you think he is, well why don't you just ask him yourself. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to answer that question for you."

Both girls stopped laughing to look at her with puzzled expressions before Hilde smiled. "Alright, let's go ask him!"

Serena wanted to shoot herself with one of the many guns she knew was hidden somewhere in the house. Hilde and Relena had both jumped up to run to the door calling for Trowa to come inside. Claiming they couldn't reach something and since he was the tallest among them his services were needed. Once he was inside the two pulled him over to the table they had been sitting at. Serena sat with her arms crossed and her head lowered, trying to shield her face from him.

"So Serena said we should ask you this." Hilde started, gesturing her hand towards Serena. "We asked her if she knew how big you were and she said we should just ask you ourselves. So… how big are you, Trowa?"

Serena snapped her head up in time to see Trowa's face redden. She couldn't believe they had actually gone as far as to ask him. Trowa cleared his throat before trying to speak. "I don't think this is an appropriate topic to be discussing."

"Ah c'mon Trowa." Hilde winked. "Just tell us. I'm sure Serena's dying to know since she's been staying with you."

Trowa's eyes met her's for a moment, the shocked look passing quickly as he tried to address Hilde. "I don't think…"

"Have you two slept together?" Relena asked. She had been looking at them both as they locked eyes. Lifting her brow she turned to look back at Trowa. "Don't tell me you two are in a relationship?"

Trowa didn't know what to say. He turned pleading eyes to Serena. They had been trying to keep everything a secret but he was starting to think people were able to see right through their lie.

"We aren't in a relationship and I agree with Trowa. This topic of conversation needs to end and needs to end now." Serena turned hard eyes to him before looking away. "We can still have this "girl chat" or whatever it is, but without the sexual topics."

"But I still have questions." Hilde pouted.

"What kind of questions could you possible have?" Serena knew that it was a mistake the second the words left her mouth.

"When was the first time you ever had sex?" Hilde asked boldly.

Serena saw Trowa's eyes go wide before he tried to turn away from them. But Hilde stopped him by pulling his arm. Serena frowned as she looked at the three of them. Sighing she answered honestly. "I was sixteen."

"Me too." Hilde added quickly before looking at Trowa. "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure you knew the day it happened. I'm pretty sure Duo called everyone." She grumbled.

Relena bit her lip but didn't offer anything on when she and Heero had made love for the first time. "Was it with someone special?"

Trowa caught the resentment to the question pass through Serena's eyes. He knew he shouldn't be listening to this and it wasn't really any of his business what Serena had done when she was younger. "No." Serena said.

"Then why did you do it?" Hilde asked.

Serena balled her fist trying to quell the rage building. "It's not important." She said flatly.

"Did you just do it to get it over and done with?" Hilde tried again.

"It's not important and I think it'd be best to drop the subject." Serena closed her eyes trying to rid herself of the memory.

Hilde was about to ask why when Trowa stepped in. He took a step closer to Serena placing a hand on her shoulder before she jerked away. "Serena are you…"

"I'm fine. I just don't think this is an appropriate topic of discussion and I believe they've had enough to drink." Serena said before standing abruptly. Making her way to the door as Duo and Heero came back inside.

"Whoa, Rena looks pissed." Duo said. "What happened?"

"Guess we may have pushed her too far with our chat…" Hilde said while she lowered her gaze.

"Let's just give her a few minutes. Then we'll need to apologize." Relena said turning to Hilde.

Heero had narrowed his eyes before shooting Trowa a look. Trowa kept his face as masked as possible before he watched Heero turn around and head back outside after Serena.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Thirsty Thursday!  
_ _  
Keeping this short! Been busy which is why this chapter is going up now. Also yes it's long, over 5K words. :/ Wasn't intended to be but hey, shit happens right? I hopefully won't be gone for over a week with no updates any time soon now that everything has settled down. Back to school means this Mama has some extra time to work on things :-D. Quickly the "girl talk" I wanted to make it as uncomfortable as possibly for Serena, so Trowa became the main topic lol. I hope some of you at least laughed and enjoyed that little section. Hope you all are doing great!_

 _-MM_


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three  
** **Bonding**

Heero walked out on the back deck to find Serena leaning against the railing as she looked up into the night sky. Taking a few more steps he stood a foot behind her. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Serena said.

"It doesn't look that way."

"You seem to know me so well." Serena said as she glanced over her shoulder at him before turning her eyes back up to the night sky. "The Earth is such an amazing place. Nothing like the Colonies. Every Colony is the same, the builds may look different and the cultures differ but at the end of the day they're all the same. The weather is controled, temperature set just right. Nothing created truly by nature. Everything is man made and while the shear feat that we're able to live in outer space is truly amazing, it'll never compare to the Earth." Sighing she lowered her head as Heero came to stand next to her. "My whole existence has been fabricated to be something I'm not. I was never going to be the perfect image of what they were trying to create. Just like the Earth, you can't create what only nature can." Heero frowned as he stared at her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Serena turned her head to face him.

"You asked me to be honest with you." Heero tilted his head to the side. He saw something in her eyes he had never noticed before.

"What were they trying to make you be?"

"Soulless. Obedient. They wanted me to never feel anything. To never have an opinion. Only to follow orders."

"Perfection." Heero saw her head nod.

"It's an unrealistic ideal. But they succeeded nonetheless." Serena sighed as she dropped her chin. "Reality is I am everything they set out to create and more."

Heero snorted causing Serena to glare at him. "Last I checked, you only follow orders when you see fit." Serena straightened herself.

"I'm a person too, Heero. I'm not some robotic play toy that can be controlled so easily. There were plenty of issues with my training. Any time I fought back the punishments got worse. Finally I gave in. There was no point in fighting back anymore. Not even death could save me." Heero heard the bitterness in her voice. She had turned away from him looking up at the sky once again. What had they done to her to make her wish for her own death?

"What did they do to you?"

Serena swung her head back to him. She barely heard the words. He had spoken them so softly. "No one should ever go through what we did. Fortunately for you, you didn't have to endure half of what I had to. Be grateful for that."

"Tell me what they did to you." Heero tightened his eyes. He opened his mouth about to say something when she shook her head.

"We don't need to discuss it. It's in the past."

"Serena, whatever happened can't be brushed off." Heero said sternly.

She smiled softly at him. "It can because I don't let it affect me. It may be apart of me. Apart of who I am, but my past doesn't define me. Even though it has helped shape who I am today. The person you see is the real me. Who I truly wish to be." She turned her head up again to look at the sky once more. "The only thing I can honestly say is that I'm going to hate destroying my Gundam. I worked so hard on it and if given the opportunity I wanted to see what it was truly capable of. But I would like to still like to be the one to destroy it and not Preventers."

Heero had learned from Une that after everything was said and done the Gundam would ultimately be destroyed. "I don't even think I could persuade Une on that matter. It's an illegal weapon after all."

"You'd let me be the one do it?" Heero saw the shocked expression on her face when she turned back to face him. "Would you even let me pilot it?"

"I don't see why you couldn't. I'm half tempted to see what it can do myself." The corner of his lips curling up. "It's really an upgraded version of Zero."

Serena laughed. "I could always reprogram the ZERO System to allow you to pilot it. That's if Une lets us have some fun with it before it's destroyed. But then again Relena might get mad at us." She said as she bit her lip.

"I can handle Une, Relena maybe not so much. But that's if they can catch us first." Heero smiled when he saw her smile widen. For once he felt like he was truly seeing her for the first time. He could understand to a point why everyone liked her so much. Even at dinner she had been social than he ever was. She had laughed and smiled while speaking with the other girls.

"I should've built two." Serena laughed when Heero shook his head.

"You're asking for more trouble than it's worth. I am sorry that you all your hard work has gone to waste."

"It's for the best. The world doesn't need another Gundam anyway." She smiled softly at him. "Can I give you some advice?"

Heero wasn't sure he should be taking advice from Serena, but given the fact they were talking in a relaxed manner he didn't see the harm. "Sure."

"Enjoy what you have in this world. The life you get to live. You don't need to question how or why about every little thing. Live your life to the fullest and hold onto the things you cherish most and never let go."

Heero's smile faded into a frown. While her advice was well intended he had a feeling someone may have said something to her. "Did Relena talk to you?"

"No Relena didn't. But I know how you think. I'm not much different from you but you have a life here Heero. Just remember how precious life truly is and be grateful for what you have. All of this could be swept away from you in the blink of an eye."

The words weren't cold in nature and her soft smile was a reassurance of that. Heero turned his head up to look up at the night sky. Was she merely reminding him of something he had already known? Or was she trying to tell him more about the world she had lived in before she came to them? He felt something nudge his arm bring his attention back to her.

"You're over thinking it." Serena chuckled.

"Hard not to when someone's being cryptic." Heero smirked when Serena rolled her eyes at him.

"Speak for yourself. You're even harder to understand sometimes."

"I'm not as bad as I used to be."

"Oh really? That's not what I've been told." Serena laughed when Heero glared at her. " _She_ does talk to me daily."

"I think I'm going to have to have a talk with Relena about that." Heero's lips curling up when Serena laughed again at him. They both knew it would be pointless.

* * *

Are they actually getting along?" Duo asked.

"It looks that way." Hilde said from beside him.

"They're even laughing… Trowa, are you sure Serena's feeling okay or something?" Duo turned to look over Hilde's head.

"She's fine. Is it so hard to believe that they may get along?" He lifted a brow at him.

"No, but yeah… Ah c'mon! They get along for like five minutes then they're at each other's throats again." Duo crossed his arms over his chest. Huffing a sigh.

"I thought they were getting better at that?" Relena frowned as she continued to watch the pair in question. "From what they've both told me, they've been getting along better."

"Yeah and you didn't see how they blew up at each at our weekly meeting on Monday. Geez, it was bad. Trowa had to drag Serena from the room while I had to hold Heero back."

"They what!?" Relena whirled around. "She's the one who hit Heero!?"

"Um.." Duo caught the warning look Trowa was sending him. A reminder that the girls didn't know anything that had been discussed or the fact that Heero and Serena had gone at. "No that was me.. It was by accident." Duo saw the frown Relena was giving him but he couldn't tell her why they had been fighting. "They just don't always agree and when they butt heads… well… it gets out of hand sometimes."

"They may disagree but it's easy to see that they share a respect for each other." Trowa said calmly while gesturing to Heero and Serena. "They're coming back in. Best to act like we haven't been watching them."

* * *

The rest of the evening had gone well. The group hung around talking and everyone had switched to water per Heero's wishes. He didn't want Duo or Trowa hung over the next day, or Relena but she had been good and had stopped drinking anymore wine for the evening. Trowa wasn't a big concern since he had only two beers the entire time he was there. Duo was a little harder to convince but Heero reminded him that he was working the following day and promised if anything happened on his watch he'd be looking at a severe punishment of desk duty for the next several months. Duo had quickly put his last half finished beer down stating water was the better option.

Everyone seemed to be enjoy themselves and even the girls had gone back to talking at the table. Relena had pulled Serena aside with Hilde and it seemed whatever had been said was forgiven. It still didn't change the fact that Heero was still curious as to what was said in the first place. Once Trowa and Serena had left and everyone else decided to call it a night did he try and press Relena for information. Since Duo and Hilde were staying in one of the guest room, Heero waited till they were alone in their bedroom to try his luck. But Relena had been tight lipped about it. She had refused to answer any of his questions only telling him not to worry and that everything was fine.

Everyone seemed to be enjoy themselves and even the girls had gone back to talking at the table. Relena had pulled Serena aside with Hilde and it seemed whatever had been said was forgiven. It still didn't change the fact that Heero was still curious as to what was said in the first place. Once Trowa and Serena had left and everyone else decided to call it a night did he try and press Relena for information. Since Duo and Hilde were staying in one of the guest room, Heero waited till they were alone in their bedroom to try his luck. But Relena had been tight lipped about it. She had refused to answer any of his questions only telling him not to worry and that everything was fine.

Whatever was said to Serena had triggered something. Heero knew when he had gone to speak with her that it was pointless. Serena wasn't going to tell him anything directly, but he knew he was capable of reading between the lines. The only problem was finding out that trying to do so only led him down another path of more questions. Serena was a mystery to him and at the same time something familiar. He could never shake the feeling that he knew her, knew her better than anyone else, even when he didn't really know her as well as the others did. It was possibly due in part to their backgrounds. Serena had told him she went through all the same training as he did, but that she had gone through much more. But what kind of training did she go through? What had they done to her to make her so unhappy that she wished for her own death?

The more he thought about things the more he realized they were the same. She had known his thoughts or feelings before and she seemed to still understand him even now. He had felt at one point that his life was worth nothing, meant nothing to anyone. He had a job to do and that was it. But all that changed. His views changed and even his thought process had changed over time. He wondered if Serena had changed and that was the reason why she was with them now. Little pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, or at least a version he thought was correct. Something had to of happened to her which resulted in her changing her actions. She had basically up and run away for the very group she was working with and now she had teamed up with Preventers to stop them. She knew what they were doing was wrong but like himself, she was obeying orders.

But what was the reason?

Heero shook his head as he rolled over in bed. He knew he could spend all night thinking things over and trying to figure out the answers to his questions. Although deep down he knew the only way he'd find out was when Serena was ready to tell him, or when they took down ROE once and for all. Even then there was a possibility her secrets would stay hidden. And he had a feeling that was what she wanted. For them to stay hidden. Heero closed his eyes again trying to relax his body so sleep could overtake him, but an image of a brown haired, blue eyed girl appeared. Her smile warm and bright, reaching all the way to her eyes. The way she laughed so carefree and even the way she reacted to things with precision and determination. She was caring and confident when she needed to be. She had a pure heart.

Heero's eyes flew open as realization dawned on him. Serena wasn't out to hurt any of them. Everything everyone had been saying to him was the truth. He was just too blind to see it. Sitting up in bed he checked the time. One am. Serena was most likely sleeping, but he needed to find out. Heero reached over grabbing his phone. Locating Serena's number he brought the phone to his ear. The phone rang till it went to voicemail. Serena had never bothered to set up a voicemail and in that moment Heero was happy she never did. Less of a footprint she was leaving if someone wanted to track her down. Heero had been taking extra precautions over the last two days, deleting all past logs and data collected from her phone. He had a record of everything but someone would have to look deep in his computer to find the file.

Heero decided to not leave her a voicemail. She was most likely asleep. He was about to put his phone down when guilt hit him. If she saw that he called she would call him back right away thinking something was wrong. He never called her this late at night. Pulling up his messages he typed out a simple message, Non-emergency, before hitting send. The corner of his lips turned up as he typed out another message. Call me tomorrow morning. It was still cryptic but at least he tried. Putting his phone down he tried to remind himself he need sleep. He was going to be working and he needed to be on high alert to ensure not just Relena's safety but the rest of the guest that would be attending the ball. Heero hoped that Serena would return his call so he could properly apologize for all the mistakes he had made. From now on he vow to try even hard to be kinder to her. Even though he knew they'd still butt heads every now and then.

* * *

Trowa rolled over when he heard a buzzing sound. When his arm found empty space he opened his eyes. Serena wasn't in bed and as he moved to sit up he heard the buzzing stop. Looking around the room he couldn't find her but he saw her phone lit up on the nightstand on her side of the bed. Leaning over he saw that Heero had called and that he had sent two messages.

Getting out of bed he grabbed his boxers that were discarded earlier that night before making his way to the door. It was slightly ajar and as he peered into the living room he caught sight of her. Serena was sitting on the floor in front of one of the windows. Her eyes were closed as she leaned her head against the glass. A blanket wrapped loosely around herself. Slowly he opened the door making his way into the living room. She didn't seem to notice him until he sat down across from her. He watched her eyes slowly open to look directly at him before averting her gaze.

"Serena, why are you out here?"

"I needed to be alone." Serena said turning to face him. A frown forming on his face.

"Why did you need to be alone?"

Serena leaned her head against the glass again. "It's easier to think." Sighing as she closed her eyes.

"What did you need to think about?" Trowa asked as he moved closer to take her hand into his.

"I… this… this is all still so new to me." Serena frowned as she turned to look at him. "I don't know how to express how I'm feeling."

Trowa gave her hand a squeeze. "It's alright. Is there something bothering you? Maybe I can help."

She shook her head. "Don't trouble yourself."

Trowa frowned as she looked away from him again to look back outside. "It's my responsibility to make sure everything is okay and that you're happy."

Serena swung wide eyes back to him. "Your responsibility? Why is it important that I'm happy?"

"Because that's how this works. Relationships aren't easy but if we communicate; to have a better understanding of one another, then we can work out any problems that might arise." Trowa squeezed her hand again. Hoping she'd understand that he was here for her.

"Are you happy?" Serena asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Trowa wanted to laugh, but he reframed. He found her to be even more adorable when she looked at him with that puzzled expression. "Because I have you. You make me happy. It doesn't need to be some long explanation. It's simply because of you."

"I make you happy?" Trowa nodded his head.

"How do I make you feel?" Trowa ventured. Part of him was hoping she felt something for him by now. His feelings for her had been growing more and more with each passing day.

"I don't know…" Serena trailed off before taking her hand back. "I'm not sure how I feel right now."

Trowa frowned slightly before pulling his face back into a mask. He could easily see that Serena was conflicted with herself. Maybe she did have feelings for him but wasn't able to express those feelings to him. She had also been under more stress lately and even though their night had ended well and she seemed to be in a good mood he knew all too well that sometimes you couldn't turn off our brain fully in order to relax. "Does any of this have to do with tonight?"

"Huh?" Serena turned to face him again. Her face contorted back into a puzzled expression before her face relaxed slightly. "A little, but not for what you may be thinking."

"Then what was it about tonight that is bothering you?"

"Nothing about it bothers me. It's just…" Serena trailed off. Gauging her words before she spoke again. "You learn to see things from a new perspective and you can't help but wonder what life would be like if things were different."

"You mean when Duo welcomed you to our group?" Duo had gone as far as to make a toast about how Serena completely their group.

Serena laughed. "No but that was funny. I'm just saying when you've lived a certain way of life for so long that when you get to view another way it gets you thinking."

"Yes that's normal. The life you're living now isn't the same one you had before. It can be exciting and frightful at the same time." Serena smiled at him but offered no other response. Leaning in he kissed her gently on the lips. "I think we should go back to bed now." Trowa stood offering his hands to her. She looked up at him before slowly lifting her hands to grasps his. The blanket falling from her body as she stood. He smiled to himself as he saw his t-shirt covering her naked body. Her mind may not have been fully at ease but she was still smiling at him. Pulling her closer they headed back to bed.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Saturday night? Probably more like Happy Sunday Funday for most of you! Here's another chapter for you guys! I'm trying to get caught up and while from here on out a lot (almost the rest of the story) is written out, it just needs a little more TLC. This is what I get for writing so far ahead but I'm not planning on changing what will happen. Everything plays a role from the plot to the relationships. :-D I'm excited for a few things that will be coming up. Confessions? More Secrets? A Gundam!? More Surprises? All very exciting things to come! I hope you all are doing great and I just wanna say Apple Crisp is awesome and I made some and that may be why I used that as a dessert in the story... Yup took that from real life ;). On that note, on to edit the next chapter!_

 _-MM_


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four  
** **Surprise**

Serena and Trowa had spent the morning lazily about the apartment. Once they had actually gotten out of bed. For the past week, they had been sleeping together every night. Serena hadn't objected to sharing his bed with him and he couldn't complain about having her in it, night after night. He knew he was falling for her with each passing day his feelings had been growing stronger for her. It was easy being with her even when she was upset about something. He was always able to brighten her mood and bring back the smile he loved seeing so much. Trowa knew he had made the right decision to pursue a relationship with her.

They were currently on the couch, Serena was sipping a cup of coffee while reading one of the books she had been working on. Trowa had laid himself down, resting his head on her lap. Serena would occasionally run her fingers through his hair when she wasn't holding her cup. He relished in the small affection she'd give him. She had been becoming more affectionate with small gestures. A kiss whenever she walked by him or when he'd come home from work she'd greet him with a smile that reached her eyes. They hadn't spoken much about where things were going and Trowa knew at some point they would need to address it more than they already had. He wanted to try and convince her to change her mind and stay no matter what happened, but for now he was content just being with her.

Trowa had his eyes closed as he felt her fingers run through his bangs again, brushing them away from his face. Opening his eyes he looked up to see a smile on her face as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. Reaching his arm up he hooked his hand around her neck bring her down for a gentle kiss.

When Serena brought her head back up she smiled again at him before turning back to her book. She'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy being around him. Trowa was invoking feelings in her, but she wasn't sure what those feelings were. She felt at peace around him and had even opened up more to him than she thought she ever would. Trowa had a knack of getting her to discuss things whether it be casual conversation or to help her to relax and try to get her to decompress. She had been stressed, more so the last few days. It didn't help that when she had finally called Heero back earlier that morning that the conversation ended up in an argument over security for the Ball that night. She ended up hanging up on him and had yet to try and call back. Serena was convinced that he'd most likely have a "little chat" with her come Monday.

Serena caught the sight of Trowa's arm moving again. Watching out of the corner of her eye she watched as he reached his hand up to finger the teardrop pendant dangling from her neck. She had worn it every day since he gave it to her a week ago. She would catch him grazing it lightly with his fingers at night. Taking the arm she had laid across his chest she brought her hand up to hold his, stilling his movements. Then a knock came from the door.

Serena let go of Trowa's hand as she looked at him with her eyebrow raised. "You expecting someone?" Trowa shook his head in her lap before moving to get up. A second knock came just as he approached the door. Opening it he wasn't expecting to see the person who was standing on the other side. A huge grin on their face.

"Surprise!" Catherine said throwing her hands up in the air, before she threw them around his neck giving him a hug. As she pulled away she looked up at his face noticing the surprised expression. "Guess I did a pretty good job at surprising you!" She gave him a wink before moving to pick up her bag.

"Cathy, what are you doing here?" Trowa's voice rose slightly from the shock. Catherine was the last person he had expected to see standing there.

Catherine chuckled as she moved to slide past him into his apartment. "Can't I come and visit my dear little brother?" A playful note to her voice.

Trowa automatic stepped to the side to allow her room. "No, but you could've called."

Catherine chuckled more as she moved to put her bag on the small dining room table. "Then it wouldn't have been a surprise now would it?" She smiled warmly at him as she turned her head to look at him.

Serena had moved from the couch when she heard the exchange between Catherine and Trowa. Leaning against the back of the couch, she crossed her arms over her chest lowering her head slightly so her hair would fall around her face.

"Oh Trowa, don't look at me like that. I know you're surprised to see me but you should be smiling by now." Catherine waved a hand at him as she turned to enter into the apartment more.

Trowa wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Part of him was happy to see Catherine. He hadn't seen her in some time and last he knew the Circus was traveling around the Colonies again. The other part of him was worried about the fact Serena was living with him and how that might look to Catherine. Trowa was trying to process a way to explain to her who Serena was and why she was there. Catherine knew who Heero was and for the most part they got along well enough, but Trowa wasn't sure how she'd take to meeting Serena. Before he could ponder more on the topic he looked up in time to see Catherine moving from the table towards the living room.

"Oh!" Catherine stopped where she stood. She hadn't noticed anyone else in Trowa's apartment at first. But there was a girl standing leaning against the couch with her arms crossed and her head lowered. Catherine turned to send Trowa a look.

"You didn't tell me you had company!? Not to mention said company was a _girl_!" She hissed at him in a low voice.

Trowa opened his mouth to say something when they both heard a chuckle. Catherine turned her head to look at the girl. Trowa swung his eyes to Serena. She had her eyes open and was staring directly at them. Her lips slightly curled up into a smirk.

"I'm sorry, I should introduce myself, my name is…." Catherine's word died on her lips as she got a good look at the girl. "T-Trowa?" Catherine questioned as she locked eyes with the girl. Serena stayed where she was leaning against the couch as Trowa moved to stand next to her. Serena galnced at him as she felt his arm come around her shoulders.

"Catherine, I'd like you to meet Serena." Trowa tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible. Turning his head he looked at Serena. "Serena this is my sister Catherine." He watched as she gave him a small nod. He knew she already knew who Catherine was but felt it rude not to introduce them.

"Uh huh." Catherine nodded. She was completely dumbfounded. This girl who's name she now knew looked like Heero, and Trowa had his arm around her shoulders. _Are they?_ Shaking her head she looked back to Trowa. "Um." Turning her head back to Serena for a moment she looked back at Trowa. "Um, I don't mean to be rude here, but… she looks like Heero."

"Mhm." Serena watched as Catherine swung her eyes to her.

"Um, are you his sister?"

"No."

"Oh. Uh… okay. I'm sorry but this is just a little strange." Catherine held up both her hands. "Trowa please explain this to me or better yet the both of you can explain this. Not to mention what's going on between the two of you." Catherine said while pointing a finger at them. "I expect answers, now Trowa go make us some coffee and we'll sit down and have a little chat."

Serena lifted her brow as she regarded Catherine. She had gone from being confused and stumbling over her words to being almost a motherly figure who was now going to demand answers. Serena felt Trowa drop his arm from her. Chancing a glance she saw he had the same expression on his face but he quickly schooled his features as he nodded to Catherine.

"Good, now Serena." Serena turned her gaze back to Catherine. "Let's sit down and get to know each other a little better." Catherine smiled as she moved to take a seat on the couch. Serena looked to Trowa who only shrugged his shoulder at her.

Catherine had made them explain everything starting with the beginning. For the most part Trowa had allowed Serena to speak, considering Catherine mainly kept her attention on her. Catherine's face was masked well and Trowa was having a hard time figuring out what she was thinking. She had glacned at him a few times but still kept her attention on Serena.

Catherine had asked questions when she need to, but allowed Serena to guide the conversation. Trowa had to admit, speaking with others was easier for Serena than it was for Heero. He knew Heero could talk when he wanted to, mainly when he felt like it or if he was giving vital information, but Serena had an air about her when she did speak freely. It was in those moments, especially when they were alone that made him start to fall in love with her. She could speak her mind in such a way when it came to certain topics that he wished she did more often. Trowa's musing came to halt as Catherine's question reached his ears.

"So how long have you two been seeing each other?" Catherine tried to hide her smile behind her coffee mug, but she had caught Trowa staring at Serena foundly from the armchair he was sitting in.

"Excuse me?" Serena shot Trowa a look as he swung his eyes to hers for a moment before turning back to Catherine.

"Ah I see." Catherine took another sip of her coffee. "So a little while now?" Catherine smirked into her mug as she watched Serena and Trowa share another look.

Luckily for the two of them, Trowa's phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his pocket he frowned as he looked at the caller ID. Standing he excused himself leaving Catherine and Serena alone. Catherine set her mug down on the coffee table as she leaned forwards to speak with Serena.

"You and I are going to have a chat later." Catherine grinned as she took in Serena's expression. The confused look on her face right before she pulled herself back together. Serena might have been able to hide her feelings, but Catherine knew of a way to get her to open up. She wanted to know more about her. Needed to know more about the girl sitting in front of her. It was obvious that Trowa had taken a liking to her, a _very strong_ liking from the looks of it. Catherine had never seen him gaze at another woman the way he had at Serena. She knew that Trowa was falling for her but the question was, was Serena falling for him? Smiling to herself she knew she'd find out one way or another.

Trowa moved back into the living room. "I have to go in early."

"Everything okay?" Serena made a move to stand.

Trowa raised his hand. "Everything's fine, just need to go over security detail and head to the hotel early."

"Yuy." Serena said as she eased back into the couch. "I don't like the fact it's still being held and that it's at a hotel no less. It's a bad idea. Too many loopholes in the security." Trowa nodded his head as he watched her fold her arms over her chest. "Did Heero set up your own video feed through the hotel as a backup?"

Chuckling to himself, she was so much like Heero, even going over things when she wasn't going to be there. "Yes, I'm sure he's got that covered."

"What about all possible exits and entries? Do you have enough people on to monitor? What about the staff? Was everyone screened prior?"

"Serena, everything will be fine. Plus Heero said to remind you that you're still not going." Trowa tried not to laugh when she rolled her eyes. He had caught some of their conversations from the morning and after Serena had told him that she tried to work her way into being allowed to attend the Ball. "Plus someone needs to keep Catherine company. If anything I'll call if we really need you okay?"

Serena nodded her head huffing her disappointment. "Fair enough."

Trowa smiled before moving into the bedroom to change his clothes. While his plans for the day had changed, he was going to try and get back as early as possible. He knew early would be around one a.m. but it didn't mean he couldn't wake Serena up. They'd have to be quieter though with Catherine staying. He was pretty sure the neighbors on either side of them knew what was going on in their apartment.

He dressed quickly changing out of his clothes and into his Preventers issued dresswear. Grabbing his watch, the one Serena had given him, he put it on. Serena had learned after that Catherine was the one who had given him the watch in the first place. She had been happy that she able to replace it for him. He smiled at the memory, at least the first few minutes of it before Duo had ruined the evening. Grabbing his handgun he tucked it in the holster before putting his jacket on, concealing the weapon.

Coming back into the living room Trowa watched as Catherine and Serena stood up. Catherine made her way around the coffee table to give him a hug goodbye. "Be safe and I'll see you later?"

"I'll be getting back late, I'm sorry we can't spend more time together." Trowa said as he hugged her back.

Catherine pulled away smiling at him. "It's alright, we have all of tomorrow, I don't have to leave till Monday." Trowa smiled softly before moving away, making his way to the door. Serena following behind him as Catherine went to sit back down. From where she sat she could see the two of them clearly.

Serena stood leaning against the doorframe as Trowa put his shoes on. "You'll keep me updated?"

Once finished he came to stand in front of her. "I'll message you throughout the night if it'll make you feel better?"

Serena gave a simple nod as she moved to open the door for him. Trowa stepped into the threshold of the entry before turning to her. "You know where I keep everything just incase?"

Serena leaned herself against the doorframe again. "Kitchen and two in the bedroom, yes I know. But I'm pretty sure Catherine can handle herself if something does come up. She did spend years throwing knives, especially at you." She raised a brow at him as a smile spread across her face.

Trowa chuckled lightly as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes." Serena had found where he kept one of his spare guns in the kitchen. She had left it out one night when he came home from work telling him he should find a better place for it than behind the cans of soup. "Just be careful please, I'll see you when I get home." He had yet to leave her alone at night and even though he knew she was capable of taking care of herself he still worried.

"Hn, I'll see you later then." Serena spoke softly. She been seeing him out every day since she started staying with him. Locking the door behind him when he left. But the past week their normal route had changed. They'd share a kiss before leaving, but today there would be none.

Serena turned her head as Trowa dipped his head. He stopped for a second before giving her a peck on the cheek murmuring a goodbye, before he stood straight moving out into the hallway. Serena watched him walk to the stairs before he glanced back at her. He smiled at her before he opened the door to the stairwell. She knew he understood why she avoided the kiss and part of her felt happy he wasn't upset by it.

Catherine had watched the two as they stood in the door. When Trowa pushed Serena's hair out of her face, Catherine saw the look in his eyes. He was falling, if not already completely in love with the woman who stood in front of him. She saw when Trowa moved to kiss Serena only to kiss her on the cheek. She also saw the smile on Serena's face before she shut the door.

Catherine watched as Serena made her way back to the couch. Her face had become a mask again. Catherine smiled a mischievous smile as she locked eyes with her. "We're going to get to know each other better, then I'll decide if I really like you or not."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "Decide if you like me or not?"

"Trowa is my brother and from the looks of things, you may become a permanent part of his life. I just want to make sure you're right for him." Catherine glared slightly at Serena.

"Right for him?" Serena still had her eyes narrowed as she stared at Catherine.

"Yes. I'm not stupid. You two have been together for some time now. I can see it in the way he looks at you. Though I do wonder, do you actually care for him or are you just using him?" Catherine crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Serena's reaction.

"Just using him? You think I'm using him?" Serena deepened her glare.

"He normally just has flings, so the fact he's seeing someone makes me wonder what you've told him or what you want out of this." Her own glare holding, she wouldn't be swayed by Serena.

"I've never lied to him if that's what you're accusing me of. For what I want out of this is nothing." Serena shot back.

"So then why are you with him? If you want nothing then is it just for your own physical needs?" Catherine moved to sit straighter.

"I don't expect him to give me anything in return. Whether he has feelings or not. There's no reason for him to." Serena was starting to get irritated, Trowa's sister or not she wasn't beyond decking another woman.

"He _does_ have feelings for you, it's written clearly all over his face. The way he gazes at you tells me he's falling in love with you, if he hasn't already. So what do you plan to do Serena? Do you feel the same for him? Or are you just with him for the thrill of it?" Catherine watched as Serena's face changed from irritated to shock then to a mask of indifference.

"I…." Serena didn't know what to say. She knew he had feelings for her but she never thought it would progress past infatuation. She had seen the way he looked at her at times, but she never fully took in what those looks meant. Was he really falling for her?

"Do you love him?" Catherine prompted, her voice softer as she spoke. "I'm not trying to be mean Serena, I just want to make sure Trowa isn't going to get hurt. I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you."

Serena had been looking down at the ground lost in thought before snapping her head up. "What?"

Catherine moved a little closer to Serena. She could see the confusion in her deep blue eyes. "I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. Like you hold the key to the world, to the universe. The whole time we were talking he never took his eyes off you."

Serena had known Trowa had been watching her while she explained everything to Catherine, but as Catherine was explaining what she saw in Trowa's eyes things were starting to make sense. Little things he did when they were together. The way he'd touched her. Even the way he kissed her had changed. Serena swung wide eyes to Catherine. "I…"

Catherine saw the the pieces fall into place in Serena's mind. Reaching a hand she placed it on her shoulder. "You didn't know did you?"

"No… I mean... I saw the way he looked at me, but..." Serena trailed off again looking at the ground. Her heart was starting to race. _He's in love with me?_

"Serena, don't over think it. I can see you're struggling to understand. But I have just one question." Catherine waited till Serena brought her eyes back up to look into her own. "Would you ever hurt him?"

Serena stared at Catherine but she knew the answer was simple. "No." She knew she could never hurt him. Or at least she was hoping she wouldn't.

Catherine smiled pulling Serena into a hug. "Then that's all I need to know for now. And I'm sorry, I'm just protective of him." She pulled away from Serena who was still staring at her with a confused look. "I have an idea. Why don't we go get ready and we can hit the town up tonight? Have a girls night and we can get to know each other more."

"Um… girls night?" Serena was becoming more confused. She heard the term before but had never gone on a "girls night.'" And after last night with Relena and Hilde she wasn't so sure about all this "girl stuff."

Catherine laughed, "we'll go out to dinner and hit the bars, have a little fun. Better than being here. You do drink right?"

"Yes." Serena tilted her head wondering what she had just agreed to.

"Great! Then let's get ready and grab an early dinner. Then we'll hit up the town!" Catherine clapped her hands together as she smiled at Serena.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Thirsty Thursday!_

 _Suprise! Yes I've brought in the lovely Catherine! Were any of you expecting this? I thought it was fitting considering she is very protective of Trowa. I had a lot of fun writing this and I have to admit, I've re-read it a few times... many of times since I've had this written for some time now. Catherine and Serena's night out should be interesting. Hope it ends well for them. Don't get too drunk girls!_

 _On another note. I am working as hard as I can to get this story finished. I've been so busy and trying to get things more settled around my everyday life. With the school year, which just recently started for my daughter, things have been just a little crazy. We're trying to adjust our schedules and get into a good school routine. With that, I'm putting my other projects on hold to focus on this story. (I have a one shot that probably wont be posted for even longer now. Sorry.) Like I said last week, I'm to the point where everything is pretty much written and just needs to be edited. I'm hoping I can post the next chapter over the next few days. :) A double chapter post would be nice right!? Maybe I should shut up and get on that! Hahah. Hope you're all doing well!_

 _-MM_


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five**  
 **Charity Ball**

Heero had started out his morning on a good note, till Serena had called him back. They ended up in another argument which only resulted in her hanging up on him. He didn't bother to call back. The worst part was he never even apologized to her like he had wanted to. At first he couldn't bring himself to do it, then once he felt like he could, she brought up the Charity Ball, asking if she could attend as back up and see if she recognized anyone there who was associated with ROE. Her question wasn't posed with any intent other than pure curiosity, but when he calming; or what he assumed was a calm response came, Serena fired back. They didn't raise their voices, but both trying to persuade the other into giving in. In the end it seemed he had won the battle.

Trowa had informed him when they had all gathered for their meeting prior to the event that Serena had agreed to stay home. Heero knew he wasn't going to be able to check on her all night since his priority was to keep his undivided attention on Relena. Heero was just praying that Serena would be smart enough to not show up under any circumstances. But it didn't mean he wouldn't allow her in if they truly needed her help. He had made sure while going over the security of the building that he put Serena on his speed dial. If anything should arise, he knew she could be there in fifteen minutes, ten minutes tops if she speed through the city. Especially since Heero knew Trowa had taken his SVU, which left Serena with his bike.

Heero had been feeling uneasy since his conversation with Serena. He tried to push away the feelings he had over it. He had gone from angry to being worried, which was another reason he had placed her on speed dial. If he felt something was truly wrong or more like if the nagging voice grew too loud for him to ignore, he would call her. That was if he could break away from Relena's side. Worse case he knew he could ask someone else to call and check on her, but so far he hadn't felt anything. The worry was still there but it could've also been from keeping a close eye on Relena as she mingled with guest. Heero had only left her side a few times so far that evening, making a quick round, around the ball room. Checking in personally with his team. When he did so, either Duo, Trowa, Wufei, or Quatre stepped in to stand close to Relena. Quatre wasn't working for Preventers that night but Heero had made sure he was armed just in case something came up that he could step in and help assist them. Quatre had currently come over to speak with a couple who happened to be talking with Relena, taking the opportunity Heero nodded to him when he stepped closer. The exchange made Quatre slipped into conversation with the couple and Relena while Heero stepped away to make another round.

So far, everything had been going perfectly. But Heero wasn't taking any chances.

* * *

Catherine and Serena had ended up at a bar and it happened to be karaoke night. Catherine had been enjoying the night with Serena even when she was being stubborn. Catherine had learned a lot about her and had come to the conclusion that she really liked Serena. She was happy Trowa had found her and that the two of them had started a relationship. But Catherine wanted to keep the fun going. She had been trying to get Serena to go up and sing with her.

"C'mon it'll be fun!" Catherine exclaimed.

"I don't do this." Serena said taking another shot.

"Please?! It's girls night!" Catherine turned back to the stage where another girl was getting ready to sing. "See she's going up there!" Catherine pointed as the music started to play. "Oh I love this song!" Serena glanced sidelong to only see Catherine frown after the girl started singing. "Oh… she's terrible. I hope she won't sing the chorus." Catherine pouted. Serena took another shot of whatever Catherine had ordered and stood. "Where are you going!?"

Serena didn't answer as she walked towards the stage. Grabbing a microphone from someone she stepped on stage causing the girl who was getting booed to freeze. With the music still playing Serena brought the mic up to her lips. Her eyes locked on the poor girl standing in the middle of the stage.

Catherine's jaw must of hit the floor like everyone else's. The whole place had gone quiet. "Holy shit…" She whispered to herself. Serena's voice had filled the room as her voice rose, hitting the high notes. Her control over her range had taken everyone by surprise, even the girl who was on stage with her. Her eyes were wide before she ran off the stage and into the crowd.

Serena tried to walk off the stage after the chorus but the guy who she taken the mic from pushed her back telling her to keep going. Serena wasn't planning on singing any further and figured she had proven her point. Turning back to the crowd she weighed her options before slowly walking back to the center of the stage. Once again bring the microphone back to her mouth.

Catherine held her breath as the second chorus approached. She couldn't believe her ears. How had Serena gone all night claiming she didn't sing when in fact she could? Or maybe it was because she could but wouldn't? Catherine tried to make sense of it but decided to throw all her assumes out the window. She was having too much fun to care at the moment. At the end of the song people were cheering and shouting for Serena to sing another song. Serena tried to walk off the stage only to be stopped again. People shouting requests at her while the staff looked like they were begging her to continue.

Serena swung her eyes to her. Catherine only shrugged before cheering along with the crowd for her to sing again. A wide smile on her face as Serena moved back to the center of the stage placing the microphone on the stand. "Okay, okay." Serena said with both her hands up. "What song?" She was bombarded with a list. Picking one she turned to the guy who was playing the tracks. Speaking quickly she nodded her head.

Catherine's smile grew wider as the music started to play. Quickly she pulled out her phone. She needed to record Serena's performance. She looked like a natural on the stage. The lights bouncing off her as she engaged the crowd in the song. But the biggest thing Catherine noticed was the smile on her face while she sang. In that moment Catherine decided Serena was perfect for Trowa. Perfect for their family.

Catherine cheered as the song ended. But she had a feeling they weren't leaving this particular bar any time soon. Serena was already being asked to sing another song. Catherine only smiled any time Serena looked at her. She had mouthed to her to enjoy it. Serena had rolled her eyes before smiling back at her.

Their girls night was turning into one of the best Catherine had had in a long time. And she was excited she was spending it with someone who she could see herself growing close to.

* * *

Nick Renwood had been walking around Brussels hoping to find some clue as to where Delta was. Commander Gavin had told him to put together a team and head to Earth. Going on a whim, Nick along with five ours headed for Brussels. If Delta knew or found out about the Charity Ball there was a very good possibility she was there. Whether she was going to make some move and expose herself or she was laying low. Chances were she was staying close to her target. Nick had sent his other men out as well. They didn't have a lead but maybe one of them would spot her. There was still a chance she had changed her features to better hide herself, so it meant they needed to look for any tell tale signs that it was her. "Glances that seemed to linger longer. A woman moving in such a way to suggest she was trying to lose her tail. Nick had made a point to go over everything before they split up. No one was to engage her, but to follow her and to call and notify him if they spotted her.

Nick had been walking around for a good two hours when he came across a bar that had a drink special to go along with it's "Saturday Karaoke" night. Deciding that a cold beer wouldn't hurt he walked inside. To his surprise and luck, there was the object of his mission. Long brown hair and blues staring out into a crowd. Dunking down, Nick moved to find a spot on the back wall. He couldn't believe his eyes. There she was of all places and he just happened to pick the right place to go into. Without hesitation he pulled out his phone dialing a number. Bring the phone to his ear he smiled as he watched Delta.

"I've found her. She's in Brussels." Nick said as soon as the called picked up.

"You have confirmation?" Gavin asked. His tone slightly surprised by Nick's statement.

"Oh it's her alright. She didn't change her appearance at all."

"Where did you find her?"

"At a bar of all places. Listen." Nick held his phone out, before bring it back to his ear.

"Hm, I heard she could sing but I didn't know she was that good."

"Delta's got the whole place going. Pretty interesting to watch." Nick commented. "You want me to bring her back?"

"Not yet. Is she with anyone?" Gavin asked.

"Not sure, though there's this cute redhead who's now with her." Nick wasn't sure if the two knew each other or the other girl just wanted to speak with Delta.

"Don't do anything just yet. Just keep following her. Don't lose sight of her. If we take her now she'll just cause a scene. We just need to wait."

"Understood, sir."

"Call if anything changes." Gavin said before ending the call. Nick pocketed his phone as he leaned against the back wall.

Nick's lips curled up into a smirk. His opportunity would come, he could feel it. He was never a fan of rejection like most people but Delta had been the worst. No matter how many times he tried she'd either stare blankly at him till someone came and took her away or she'd flat out tell him "no" before walking away. It all depended on what personality you were speaking with at the time but Nick knew he'd get his way. Edwards couldn't have her all to himself all the time. That and Nick knew she had been "someone's date" for an evening when they needed her to convince someone of wealth to join their cause. None of it matter to him, even if it irritated him. He'd get his chance to have her. Gavin probably wouldn't even bat an eye, as long as Delta was in fighting condition afterwards.

"Enjoy your freedom now, Delta. Because it's all about to end." Nick said to himself.

* * *

Michael Faulkner stood next to his step-father Senator Robert Gates. Michael came from a wealthy family and when his father died he had inherited his wealth along with Gates. Gates had married his mother two years after his father's passing. Gates played the father role, taking Michael under his wing and modeled him in the man he was today. He had power and even more money than he had before. But soon he'd had even more power. Once ESUN was taken over and the new ruling order was in place, Michael stood to make a great deal more profit along with a position within the new government. Possibly even more if he played his cards right.

"I haven't seen her." Michael commented.

"Hm. It would seem she's not. But there's a good reason why." Robert Gates caught his step-son's eye. "I got word that Delta is indeed in Brussels." Gates said as he sipped his drink.

"How?"

"Seems she's out and about. She's currently at some bar." Gates turned away from Micheal looking over the crowd of people on the dance floor.

"That's interesting." Michael said. "Should we still proceed with our original plan?"

"No. All five of them are here. Yuy has barely left Darian's side all night. If he does leave someone else is always close by."

"Hm." Michael took a sip of his own drink. "That could prove difficult."

"Don't worry. We know Delta's here. We just need to find her and bring her back. Till then don't do anything. Plans can always be reworked and still end in our favor."

"Understood." Michael said before he stepped away.

* * *

The Charity had gone without any issues. Heero was please with how everything went and was even able to enjoy the sight of Relena mingling with guest and even other members of ESUN and Colony representatives. It was where she shined the most. Relena had been working hard all night to get the funds she needed to keep moving with the Mars Terraforming Project. In about five years, it would be complete if they kept up the funding, which they needed through private investors.

Other delegates had done the same. Proposing their own pet projects to private investors in hopes they would select them to fund. It was a yearly event where everyone could work on their own personal projects. Even when this happened at any and every event. It wasn't something that was new, but this one event was set up in the hopes that people would stop trying to work their own business into other charity events that were held for their own specific reason. But Heero had to admit Relena was damn good at her job. She had secured more funds and seemed to be congratulating herself with a drink.

Heero came up behind her. Lowering his head to speak quietly into her ear. "Don't drink too much."

Relena whirled around to face him. "I'm allowed to have one drink. Thanks to me, I was able to get the extra funds we needed." Relena lifted her chin to him.

Heero chuckled. He had finished his rounds since the evening's festivities were starting to die down. People were heading to their rooms in the hotel or heading home. His night was almost over and he was looking forward to spending the rest of the night with the woman in front of him. "You did good, but I don't want you getting too carried away." He reached to take her drink away.

"Oh no you don't Yuy. I earned this." Relena pulled away from him. "Plus I have to deal with Dorothy."

Heero's eyebrow shot up. "I thought you two were friends. Why say it like that?"

Relena sighed as she looked into his eyes. "It means we can't spend the rest of the night together."

Heero frowned as he looked down into her light blue eyes. He could see the remorse in them. "Can't you talk with her tomorrow?"

Relena shook her head. "Dorothy already planned to come to my room later. And since it's only eleven thirty I'm sure she'll be staying there for a while to go over whatever it is." Relena waved a dismissive hand.

Heero's frown deepened. He had Relena book a room so he didn't worry about her getting home, even though they didn't live far away. But also so when he was done for the night he could meet her in the room. "Can't you get out of this?"

Relena laughed behind her hand. "Oh Heero, you're acting like you'll never get any for a while." Relena teased. Her eyes glittering at she watched his eyes closely.

"Maybe we can sneak away for a…."

Relena swatted his arm. She saw his eyes darken as his lips curled up. "Heero, one night won't kill you, nor will it kill me. Besides we have all day tomorrow."

"Yeah, if Dorothy leaves." Heero mumbled. Relena only rolled her eyes at him. It had been a surprise to see Dorothy, though it shouldn't have been since she came as Quatre's guest. Since Quatre was an investor with the Terraforming Project Heero knew he was coming to help Relena in any way he could. It also meant another set of eyes to watch for any signs of trouble. But with the news that Dorothy was going to be spending some time with Relena, it only put a damper on his idea of a good night.

A half hour later, once the last of the guest had left, Heero stood with Relena in near empty ballroom. He still need to double check a few things before heading out but Relena had hung back to talk to him before she had to go up to her room. Heero agreed to come back in the morning and meet Relena for breakfast, if he didn't come earlier than that. As they continued to talk Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei made their way over to them.

"There you are." Duo said as he came to put his arm around Heero. "Been looking for you."

Heero shrugged Duo's arm off. "What do you want?"

"Whoa, Mr. Grumpy tonight, and to think all of this went without a hitch." Duo guestard around with his arms.

"Hn." Heero grunted.

"Everything's clear, Relena is the only one left in the ballroom." Wufei said while crossing his arms over his chest.

"You already did a walk through?" Heero lifted a brow.

"There weren't too many people left and the two of you have been in this little corning for some time now. Walk through was completed. All guest have arrived to their rooms or safely to their vehicles. All personnel have been accounted for and have checked in. Everyone is stationed on their respective floors and we have teams to do walk throughs as well as video monitoring."

"You would've heard that if your earpiece was in." Duo pointed a finger at Heero. Heero had taken out his earpiece a while ago. He hadn't heard anything so he figured everything was fine. He said nothing as he glared at Duo.

"I'm leaving now that my work is done." Wufei said as he turned away from the group.

"Aw c'mon Wufei stay. Come have a drink with us!" Duo frowned when Wufei rolled his eyes before walking away from them. Turning Duo looked at the rest of the group. "Well Princess I'd ask you but Q-man here says Dorothy's waiting for you. But how about the rest of you?"

Relena tried not to roll her eyes. She was tired and knew Dorothy would be keeping her awake for some time. "Thank you for the offer Duo, I do appreciate it. Maybe next time."

"Sorry Relena, I tried to get Dorothy to change her mind. But you know how she can be." Quatre turned sorry eyes to her.

Relena waved him off. "It's okay, thank you for trying but yes I do know how she can be. I should probably get going then." Relena moved around the group giving everyone a hug, before turning to Heero. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" She watched as he nodded his head and gave her a small smile before pulling it back. Relena wasn't upset he didn't hug her but the smile he gave her and to her only.

The guys watched as Relena walked away, waving a goodbye before walking out of the ballroom. Two Preventer agents flanking her on either side. Heero knew he didn't have to worry too much. Though he didn't plan to be away from her long. He knew Dorothy was probably carrying some weapon. Most likely a firearm. Heero knew Dorothy would protect Relena if need be, plus Relena could handle herself and worse case she'd find a way to call him.

Duo was the first to break the silence once Relena left. "So how about a drink?"

Heero shrugged. He didn't have anything better to do. He could wait around in the hotel till he knew Dorothy had gone back to her room, or he could please his braided friend. One drink wouldn't kill him. "Sure."

Duo grinned as he turned to Trowa and Quatre, "How about you two?"

"Sure, I wouldn't mind getting to talk with you guys for a little." Quatre said. He hadn't been on Earth in some time and see everyone was a nice change of pace.

Trowa shook his head, "I should get home." He had been counting down the minutes till he could leave. Serena had been plaguing his thoughts all night.

"C'mon man, one drink won't hurt." Duo pleaded with him.

"Duo's right Trowa. One drink won't hurt plus I haven't seen you in a while. Would you rather be home alone or at least have a drink with us?" Quatre smiled warmly at Trowa.

Trowa glanced at Heero who just stared at him. Trowa had spoken to Quatre for a little throughout the night but he hadn't said anything to him about Serena or Catherine. In fact none of them knew Catherine was visiting from L3. He had been checking his phone all night when he had the chance. The last message between him and Serena was over an hour ago. He had been updating her like she had asked him to. Deciding he could send her another message letting her know that he was going out for a beer with the guys, then he'd be home. Nodding his head he agreed. "Sure, one drink."

"Great! Then let's go! I know a great bar just down the street from here." Duo turned on his heel making his way out of the ballroom.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Saturday!_

 _Yes that's right, double chapter post this week! I told you I was working hard ;). Or at least trying to. I know nothing "super" exciting happened but there's a reason for that... you'll find out very soon. Like next chapter soon. :-D Who knows maybe I can get that one up within the next few days._

 _It seems that ROE has found where Serena has been. Wonder what they plan to do to get her back? Or how they're going to get her back? This Nick guy seems to have some harbored feelings for Serena... maybe he's a little crazy. Then we have Michael who we've learned a little more about. (Pay attention to this tiny info. :D) What's his deal!? And what about his step-father? So many questions! Not to mention how drunk did Catherine and Serena get? I'm sure they're enjoying bar hopping. Now the guys are going? Like I said, so many questions! Though I do have answers to some of these. Stay tuned for the next chapter... maybe you'll get some answers._

 _-MM_


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

 **Too Much Alcohol**

Heero and Duo drove in Heero's SUV while Trowa and Quatre took his. He had agreed for one drink then he would leave, hoping to make it back home at a somewhat decent hour. Trowa had sent Serena a message informing her of what was going on before climbing into his SUV. Once they arrived at the bar Duo suggested, Trowa pulled out his phone to see if he had gotten a response back from her. Frowning he put away his phone. She hadn't responded. He thought maybe she was already asleep.

"Everything okay Trowa?" Quatre asked. The frown hadn't gone unnoticed by him.

Trowa turned his head to his long time friend. "Yeah why?"

"I saw you take your phone out before getting in and now you're checking it again." Quatre smiled at him, "Are you seeing someone?"

Trowa's eyes went wide for a moment. "I was just checking to see if Catherine sent me a message." It wasn't a complete lie.

"You're dodging my question. You're seeing someone, who is she?" Quatre's smile widen.

Trowa didn't know what to say. How could he explain this to Quatre when it was obvious Quatre knew something was going on? Luckily Duo knocked on the window. "You guys coming?"

Quatre turned back to look at Trowa before opening the door. "We'll talk later. But I want to know who she is."

The group made their way down the street. They were only about a half block away from the bar Duo told them about that " _they just had to check it out"_. Getting closer to the door they saw two females stepping out arm and arm as they laughed. They turned to go the opposite direction, but something about them looked familiar. Two men stepped outside after them and began to follow the two females. When the street light lite their figures they were able to see a woman with curly reddish brown hair and one with straight dark brown hair.

"Hey doesn't that look like..." Duo started to say as Heero and Trowa cut him off.

"Catherine." Trowa said.

"Serena." Heero growled as he picked up his pace, Trowa following close behind.

"Who?" Quatre turned to Duo who just shook his head and followed after Heero and Trowa. "You'll find out soon enough."

Serena had sensed the two men behind them. She knew they had followed them out of the bar. She kept laughing and talking with Catherine as to not scare her. Serena tried to pick up their pace to put some distance between them and the two men, but with the amount of alcohol they had already consumed that night it only made their pace slowly and unbalanced. Then she felt someone grab ahold of her shoulder at the same time she felt Catherine's arm being ripped away from her.

Heero and Trowa were about to start jogging when they noticed the girls trying to walk faster. Even as the two men were catching up to them. Then they saw both men grab each girl. Catherine screamed as she was pulled away from Serena.

Serena swung her eyes to see the man who had grabbed her. Catherine's scream sounding in her ears as they were pulled apart. The man standing holding onto her had a wide grin on his face. "Little late to be out by yourselves. Pretty little things like you shouldn't be alone." Serena growled low at the guy. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Catherine struggling to break free.

Heero and Trowa broke out into a run as they neared the girls. The two had been separated and Catherine was trying to get herself free while Serena glared at the guy who was holding her. Heero saw something flash in her eyes before he saw her fist started to ball. But she would never get the chance. As he got closer he balled his own fist before sending it into the guy's jaw.

The guy stumbled back holding his jaw. "What the fuck man!?" Heero didn't give him another chance. He sent his fist into the other man's stomach, causing him to hunch over. Pulling him up by the collar Heero glared a death threat into the man's eyes.

"Leave." Heero growled at the guy before releasing him. Trowa had taken care of the other guy who had been holding Catherine. They watched as the two men ran to the other side of the street and away from them.

"Are you okay Cathy?" Trowa turned worried eyes to her.

"Yeah I'm fine, but what are you guys doing here?" She asked looking at him. She was slightly swaying as Trowa reached out to steady her. He was about to answer when he heard Heero and Serena. Catherine turned her head to look at them as Trowa did the same. None of what was being said could be understood.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?" Heero turned angry blue eyes on her.

"I could've handle it." Serena's own eyes glowing.

"How much have you had to drink?"

Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "That's none of your business."

Heero growled at her before taking a step closer to her. "Do you have _any_ idea what could've happened!? What if you got hurt!?"

"I can handle myself Heero!" Her own growl coming out as she spoke.

"You're drunk. I can smell the alcohol on your breath. How could you have handle yourself?"

"Why do you care!? Why does it matter what happens to me!?"

"Serena." Her name coming out as a warning. "You could've been hurt, then what?"

"What is it to you?" Serena shot back.

"What would we do if you were hurt or worse killed!?" Heero's voice raising as he leaned towards her.

"We? Ha! Tell me something Heero, are you just concerned because if something happens to me there goes your only connection to ROE? Or do you _actually_ care about me?" Serena's own voice raising to match his.

Heero leaned back staring at her for a moment before ranking a shaky hand through his hair. He didn't even know he had been shaking. Why was he so upset with her? Was it because of her intel or was it because he did _cared_ about her? "Go home Serena, we'll discuss this when you're sober."

"Discuss it later!?" Serena took another step towards him. "You can't even answer my question? Hm? Is it because you only see me as the key to taking down this group?" Her eyes boring into his.

"Serena." Heero tried to keep the anger out of his voice. "Just go home." Heero watched as she took a step back from him. Anger filling her own blue eyes.

"Whatever Heero." Serena said as she brushed past him to stand next to Trowa. She gave Catherine a once over before turning around.

Quatre and Duo had been watching the exchange between Heero and Serena. Quatre couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at Serena. Turning to Duo, "I'm guessing that's Serena." He whispered.

"The one and only." Duo said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Quatre turned back to look at Serena who was looking directly at him. Something gripped him at his core as he stared into her eyes.

Thousands of thoughts and feelings passed through him. When she finally turned her eyes away from him did the grip loosen. She was hurting, conflicted about something and there was also a great sadness to her. Quatre couldn't make sense of everything in that moment but part of him wanted to help her. She needed something, but what that something was he didn't know. His eyes shifted to Trowa. Quatre noticed the way Trowa was looking at her.

 _She must be the girl._

Quatre tried to wrap his head around everything but he still kept coming back to that one emotion he felt from Serena. _She's hurting but what's causing her to feel that why?_ He continued to think of some reasons as to why. Turning his attention back to Trowa he could sense the worry. Whether it was for Catherine or Serena he didn't know.

Trowa put his arm around Catherine to steady her. He looked at Serena who was standing still and decided that she would be okay walking back to the vehicle by herself. "Let's go." He said quietly as he guided Catherine, Serena following along side him.

Heero moved to help Serena as she fell into step next to Trowa, but when he reached a hand out to her she jerked back muttering she was fine. Heero pulled back watching as the three made their way back to Trowa's SUV.

"Well that was something." Duo said as he turned to Heero. "You two had one hell of an argument huh? She looks pretty pissed at you man."

Heero said nothing at first before turning his head to Duo. "I need a drink and your buying." Turning back he headed for the entrance of the bar.

"Whatever she said to him must of gotten to him. Geez wonder what it was?" Duo turned to look at Quatre who hadn't said anything in awhile.

"It was enough to make him think that's for sure. But Duo," Quatre turned his head to look at him. "I'm more worried about Serena, she's…"

"Yuy, yeah I know. Kind of scary but she's nice." Duo cut him off with a shrug of his shoulders. Making his way towards the door he called out over his shoulder. "I'll fill you in, but we better get inside before Yuy comes looking for us."

Quatre shook his head. _That's not what I'm worried about. I understand that but I'm just worried Serena is hiding something. It's got to be the only reason why she would be feeling like that._ Shaking himself again he headed to where Duo was standing holding the door open for him. Maybe he could find some answer when speaking with Heero and Duo.

* * *

Nick had been following Delta and the redhead who was with her as they went from one place to another. When they finally left the last bar they had been at, Nick gave them a few moments before heading out after them. When he made it outside he saw two guys. Each one holding one of the girls. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of two men running past him.

"Shit!" Nick cursed under his breath. He recognized Barton and Yuy as they ran by him. Before he knew it Maxwell and Winner were in front him as they made their way towards the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Cursing again he turned heading away from the group.

Glancing back he saw the two guys that had been trying to get Delta and the redhead running across the street. Stopping he stood off to the side watching the rest of the group. Delta and Yuy were in some heated argument from what he tell.

Pulling his phone out he placed a call. "Gavin, we got a problem."

" _What is it?"_

"Delta is with the other pilots."

" _What!?"_ Gavin yelled into the phone.

"She's with Yuy, Barton, Maxwell and Winner." Nick said as he kept watching. "Yuy and her are arguing about something."

" _Shit."_ Gavin said. " _Stay with her. We need to know where she's going."_ There was a pause before Nick spoke again.

"With Barton it seems."

" _Barton?"_

"Yeah, they're walking this way. I'll follow and find out where they're going." Nick didn't wait for a reply as he ended the call. Staying in the shadows Nick walked towards his car. He had been lucky the girls ended up going past the hotel he had parked at. It gave him an advantage if Delta was left alone he had planned to take her. Nick waited till the SUV started driving away before jumping in his own car.

* * *

Trowa finally got Catherine inside the apartment with the help of Serena. She took Catherine to the guest room to help her change into her sleepwear and get her settled into bed. Trowa was grateful Serena had taken over the task. He didn't mind helping his sister but some things he just wouldn't do.

Once Serena had disappeared with Catherine, Trowa made his way into the kitchen to get them some water. Based on the car ride back to his apartment he learned just how intoxicated Catherine was. There was no doubt Serena had consumed just as much her. Catherine had rambled on about their night and had gushed over Serena.

From the looks of it the two had a pretty good time together aside from when they left the last bar they hit up. Serena had been quiet though. She had her eyes closed the whole time they drove and by the time they got to the apartment the effects of alcohol were starting to show. She had swayed when they rode the elevator but from the looks of it she was holding her own.

Trowa started walking to the guest room with a glass of water when the door busted open. Catherine flying out to go to the bathroom. Serena came out after shaking her head. The two waited patiently till Catherine came out of the bathroom. Trowa stepped in to help her back to the room leaving the glass of water on the night stand. When he came out he saw the door to his room was open with the light on. He made his way back to the kitchen taking the other glass of water before heading to the bedroom.

Closing the door behind him, he watched as Serena took off her shirt. A smile tugged at his lips as he saw the pendant hanging around her neck. He caught her eye as she turned to fully face him.

"You doing okay?" He asked as he handed her the glass of water.

"I'm fine" Serena said before taking a sip.

"You sure? How much did you guys have to drink tonight?" Trowa lifted his brow at her.

" _A lot._ "

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He questioned her again. He didn't want to press her on it but he wanted to make sure.

"I can handle it. Catherine on the other hand, I'm guessing not so much." Serena took another sip of water before sitting down on the bed. She knew the effects of drinking for hours were starting to get to her. Trowa taking a seat next to her. "

Who's idea was it?"

"Hm? Oh Catherine said we should have a "girls night.'" Serena shrugged a shoulder. "Never knew it entailed heavy amounts of drinking."

"Normally yes, but girls night could mean anything." Trowa chuckled.

"Wouldn't know." Serena tilted her head as she looked at him. "Why were you out?"

"Duo wanted to grab a drink with everyone so we went out." Trowa frowned as he looked at her. "Didn't you get my message?"

"Hm?" Serena got up and went to where she had put her jacket down, pulling out her phone she saw she had a missed the message. "Damnit." She said aloud. She had been trying to respond back to him in a timely manner all night. But this one had slipped by her.

"What's wrong?" He asked from behind her.

Serena spun around to face him. "Nothing, I guess I missed your message. Sorry."

Trowa frowned more as he looked at her. Her whole appearance had changed. "Are you sure everything's okay Serena?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Serena tried to keep her voice even and her face masked. If she kept her thoughts away maybe he'd believe her. But her eyes betrayed her.

Trowa took a step closer to her. He reached up taking the water she had in her hand before putting it on the dresser, followed by her cellphone. He turned his eyes back to her reaching up again but this time to cup her face. His emotions overtaking him. "I missed you."

* * *

Nick had been sitting outside of an apartment complex. He had followed Delta in what he assumed was Barton's vehicle. "So she's staying with him." Nick said to himself. "Gavin's going to find this every interesting. Delta's found herself a nice little place to stay. Wonder what will happen when they find out who she really is?" Nick laughed as he made another phone call.

" _Nick, do you have more news for me?"_ Gavin asked.

"She's staying with Barton from the looks of it."

" _Interesting."_ Nick waiting for further instructions. It seemed Gavin was debating their opinions. " _Get your team and keep watch. We need to wait till she's alone before you move in to take her."_

"Understood, sir." Nick smiled to himself. It would only be a matter of time before they had Delta back in their possession. Mainly _his_ possession.

* * *

Heero had tried to push away the thoughts that were consuming him. "Why do you even care what happens me?" Serena's words echoed through his head. Why did he care?

"Tell me something Heero, are you just concerned because if something happens to me there goes your only connection to ROE? Or do you actually care about me?" Taking a sip of his beer he placed it back down in front of him. Staring into the golden liquid, thinking maybe he'd find the answer to her questions.

Quatre had been watching Heero out of the corner of his eye as Duo filled him in about Serena. Quatre knew the moment he laid eyes on her that she was a clone. The added information Duo was gave him made sense. If J had created her the likelihood that she would be an exact copy of Heero was very probable. Quatre listened intently to Duo trying to pick up any hints as to why he felt such an emotional struggle from her but nothing Duo had said indicated that. Then there was the question as to Trowa and Serena's involvement with each other. Quatre was pretty sure that she meant something to him. Trowa had checked his phone before they got out of his SUV and when Serena went to stand next to him Quatre felt something from Trowa before he locked eyes with Serena. He decided that tomorrow he'd pay them both a visit since Duo had told him that Serena was staying with Trowa.

Turning his attention back to Heero, Quatre could feel Heero waging his own war in his head. He hadn't once looked up at them nor did he add anything to Duo's story about Serena. Quatre could only guess it had something to do with what had happened earlier. Heero and Serena's argument had been heated after all. Whatever was said was obviously affecting him deeply but unfortunately because everything was spoken in Japanese, Quatre had no knowledge of what was said to make him think so deeply.

Heero finished his beer placing it back on the table. Looking up he saw Quatre had been looking at him before he swung his eyes back to Duo. Heero had heard some of the conversation but never added to it. Deciding he was done for the evening, he stood up. "Are you two ready to go?"

Duo spun around to face Heero. "What do you mean? We've only had one beer!?"

"I agreed to one drink and one drink only. Now it's time to go." Heero glared at Duo as he grabbed his jacket. Duo threw up his hands.

"What!? C'mon man!"

"No Heero's right Duo. It's getting late, we should go." Quatre stood grabbing his coat.

Duo turned to look at him. "Not you too?"

Quatre smiled at Duo. "Next time we'll plan something okay?"

Duo finished his beer before setting it down. "Fine but next time Yuy's paying." He jabbed a thumb in Heero's direction.

"You can walk back to your hotel if you want Maxwell." Turning on his heel Heero made his way to the door.

Quatre turned to Duo. "Ease up on him Duo. It's obvious something is bothering him. Just try to be a good friend."

Duo lifted his brow but said nothing. It hadn't gone unnoticed to him that Heero was struggling with something. But knowing Heero, he would never come out and just say what it was that was bothering him. But if Duo had to guess it had something to do with a brown haired, blue eyed girl. Standing up he grabbed his own jacket before making his way to where Heero and Quatre stood waiting for him.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Monday! Here's another chapter just to brighten your Monday blues; if you have any! But good news, only four more days till the weekend!_

 _I have a couple of things to quickly say. What the hell is up with Serena and Heero? Did Serena finally lose it? I know she's on edge but I don't know why she would freak out on Heero.. or do I. And Heero, do you think he's finally come to the conclusion that Serena is truly one of them and worth helping? Possibly even protecting? ;);) Also are any of you excited that I brought Quatre into this story!? I am :-D. One last thing... I think things are about to get steamy all up in here!_

 _-MM_


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven  
** **Confessions**

Heero thought about staying at the hotel when he dropped Quatre off. Deciding against it he headed back home. He needed to be alone. Heero tried to sleep but in the end he was unable to. Serena's words had haunted him all night. By six he had all but given up on trying to get any kind of sleep. Getting dressed he made his way back over to the hotel where Relena and most of the delegates were staying.

Once at the hotel he made his way up to the floor Relena's room was on. A few of the agents that were on the night shift had stopped to ask him if everything was alright. They had told him that Relena along with everyone else who were staying at the hotel were fine and no incidents had occurred while he was away. Heero informed them that Relena had called him and it wasn't anything to worry about. Heero dismissed the two agents stationed outside of her room before slipping his keycard into the lock.

Heero opened the door as quietly as he could before stepping inside. Shutting the door behind him, he scanned the room. His eyes landed on a woman lying on the over sized bed. Taking off his shoes he made his way over to the bed. Stripping down to just his boxers he lifted the covers before sliding himself in, lying down next to the woman he had finally fully given himself to four years ago. Wrapping an arm around her, Heero pulled her closer. Her honey blonde hair fanned out around her head as she nuzzled herself into his toned chest.

"You're finally here." Relena murmured into him. Heero kissed her hair before he murmured a response back to her.

"Hn." Relena moved her head so she could look at him.

"Is something wrong Heero?"

Heero gazed at at her. She was truly beautiful in his eyes even when her light blue eyes shone with worry for him. How had he gotten so lucky? To have someone care for him as much as he cared for her. He watched as her brows furrowed together. She was waiting for a response from him. How could he even answer her question?

 _Yeah, I'm the biggest asshole in the world because I couldn't answer a simple question. Even one as simple as yours._

Heero had figured out that he could've avoided the hostility between him and Serena by simply telling her that he did _care_. But to say it meant that he was admitting to himself that he did in fact _care_ about her and what could possibly happen to her. It wasn't like how it was with Relena. He knew at times he struggled to express himself the way Relena wanted him to, but his actions showed her how he truly felt. But with Serena, he was battling himself over how he should truly feel and how to react to her.

"Heero?" Relena's worried tone shook Heero from his thoughts.

"Everything's fine." Relena regarded him with a questioning look. Before she could ask him again he pressed his lips to hers. "Everything's fine Relena."

Relena knew he was lying. Whether it was because he was trying to protect her or because he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet, but she knew he was lying. It was rare that he ever truly lied to her, but this time she wasn't going to let it slide by. "It's about Serena isn't it?" Heero's eye grew wide for a moment before he pulled himself back.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it's been the same thing you've been struggling with since you met her. I can see it in your eyes. What happened this time?"

Sighing he rolled onto his back as he raked a hand through his hair. "We had an argument."

Relena frown as she sat up slightly. "That's nothing new. You two bicker about things all the time, like you're _actually_ siblings."

Heero cringed slightly at her words. It wasn't so much that it wasn't true it was just that Serena and him _weren't_ siblings. "This one was different."

Relena arched a brow at him. "How so?"

Sighing again he closed his eyes. "She asked me a question I couldn't answer."

"What do you mean you couldn't answer? What was the question?"

Heero didn't want to answer Relena's questions. While she had ever good intention he just couldn't discuss it with her right now. "Relena," he said turning his head towards her. "To be honest I don't want to talk about this."

"Then what do you want?" Arching her brow at him again.

"To take my mind off of things." He said in a low husky voice. Relena knew he wasn't ready to talk just yet, even if she tried to push him to. She also knew that sometimes he just need an outlet like everyone else did to take their mind off their own thoughts. It wouldn't be the first or the last time they sought each other for comfort in some form when they were struggling with something.

Deciding not to press him further she leaned down to kiss him fully on the lips. He responded back immediately moving a hand to hold the back of her head. Parting her lips she allowed his seeking tongue to enter her mouth. Pushing the covers, Relena broke their kiss as she sat up. Pulling her nightgown over her head she tossed it to the side. She watched as Heero moved his hands to remove his boxers, adding them to the floor along side her nightgown.

Without breaking eye contact Relena moved herself to straddle his hips as his hands came to rest on hers. Leaning down she captured his lips for a moment before pulling away. Positioning herself above him, she watched his dark blue eyes as she slowly lowered herself onto him. She watched as his eyes closed as he sucked in a sharp breath as their bodies became one. Heero was handsome, there was no denying it. But in this moment looking down at him as she started to rock her hips, she couldn't get over just how handsome he truly was.

Relena had set the pace at a slow tempo, working her hips slowly. Placing her hands on his hard chest she slowly picked up the pace. She felt him grab ahold of her hips as he guided her movements. Soon his own hips started to move, matching her own as they moved in harmony together.

Before she knew it, she felt Heero's fingers dig into her flesh before he sat up wrapping one arm around her body while the other grabbed the back of her head bring their lips together in a searing kiss. Feeling him push harder into her, she tried to push herself to meet his demand. But his hold on her kept her in place. She knew it wouldn't be long for either of them. Her own release building before it overpowered her senses. A wave of pleasure washing over her as he continued to push himself harder. Relena felt him shudder as he pull away from her, breaking their kiss. He drop his head onto her shoulder groaning out his own release. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she held him close as both their bodies came down from the high.

Running her fingers through his unruly hair she slowly felt him start to relax. He had wrapped his arms around her holding her close to him while he tried to even out his breathing. She felt his lips against her collarbone before he slowly moved them to lay down. She watched as he closed his eyes, a peaceful sigh escaping from his lips. Even if for a short amount of time, she hoped that she was able to comfort him. Even if it so he could sleep for a few hours.

* * *

Trowa awoke the next morning to sunlight filtering through the curtains while his mind told him it was too early to be awake. He couldn't remember exactly what time he had fallen asleep other than he knew it was late and well past three in the morning. Turning his head to the side of the bed he saw a bare shoulder with dark brown hair flowing over the pillow. Serena's back was to him and from her even breathing he knew she was still asleep. Turning on his side he reached his arm around her body moving himself closer to her. The feel of her bare skin against his brought back the memory of the previous night.

" _I missed you."_

He remember the look in her eyes right before she crushed her lips to his. One he had never seen before. It wasn't the lustful look she normally had when they're about to make love. It wasn't fear or anger towards his words. It had been almost as though she was trying to tell him something. He had felt something behind her kiss and it wasn't until she whispered the words that he started to understand...

* * *

" _I need you…" Serena whispered._

" _You need me?" Serena's eyes still held the same look. Emotions were swirling about and he couldn't make sense of them all. Then he slowly started to realize she was being completely vulnerable with him._

" _I… I need you. I don't want to be alone anymore." Her voice trembled as she wrapped her arms tighter around him. Her face buried in his neck._

 _Pain gripped at him. She felt alone and he had no idea. But maybe he should've known better. "You don't have to be alone."_

" _I'm… I'm not who you think I am, and I_ can't _be who you want me to be." Her head shook against him._

" _Serena, look at me." Trowa waited but she refused to look at him. "Serena… please." Slowly she lifted her head. Sadness had completely filled her eyes. "Serena, I don't want you to be anyone but who you are."_

" _You don't know the_ real _me…. If you did…" Serena pulled away from him. "Heero was always right not to trust me." Her hand balling at her chest. She opened her mouth to speak again before he cut her off._

" _And Heero's wrong." Taking her hand Trowa lifted it to his chest. "I don't care what your past is. What I care about is who you are now. I trust you with my life, with my heart." Her eyes grew wide as he held her hand against his heart._

" _Trowa…" It was now or never. Trowa took a deep breath._

" _I love you, Serena."_

" _I…" Serena pulled her hand away. Trowa felt his heart drop at the lose of contact. He had completely given into his emotions. Baring them fully to her. He had thought about it all night and he came to the realization that it wasn't just some crush but that he was in love with her. Serena's eyes were still wide as she stared off to the side. "I…" She said again before looking back up to him. "I don't know what love is."_

 _In that moment Trowa understood everything. She was terrified of what he had confessed to her. She was trying to piece everything together. Trying desperately to understand. It was so clearly written not just on her face but in her eyes. Reality dawned on him that no one had ever told her. Or if they had, they never meant it. Serena was like a deer caught in headlights. Unable to move, unable to respond. Slowly he took a step closer to her. Her eyes rising to meet his. "Then let me show you."_

* * *

Their love making had been full of passion. Trowa had spent a great deal of time caressing and kissing all his favorite places. He had learned which spots were the most sensitive and brought her the most pleasure. Even the spot just below her breast that would have her twisting beneath him in a fit of laughter. He had been filling them away in his mind not just for his own use but so every time they were intimate together he knew she was enjoying it as much as he was. He prided himself on making sure her needs were met every time.

When he had finally joined their bodies together he swore he saw sparks fly right before his eyes. Everything felt right and she felt even better. It had always felt that way, but this time was different. Trowa didn't want to rush the sex. It wasn't about them going through the motions but rather him showing her how much he cared and how he had truly fallen in love with her.

As his hips worked slowly building up his pace, he couldn't help staring at her as she lay beneath him. Her blue eyes clouded but yet they had been so clear at the same time. She had let her walls come completely down and allowed him to fully see her. Their love making that night would be one he would never forget. _She_ was unforgettable. When her back arched and her own hips rose to meet his, he had leaned forward capturing her lips as her hands caressed his back. Pulling him closer to her. Both struggling between needing air and wanting more.

When they were laying together afterwards he had asked her some questions in hopes of better understanding her feelings and to also help her associate the words she knew with those feelings. It only resulted in pain gripping at his own heart again. He had never seen such pain in her eyes before. Pulling her closer to him, he had kissed her head telling her that she never had to be alone again. That she was safe and no one would ever hurt her. Serena had nestled herself closer to him after and he was able to feel her breathing evening out as she fell into a deep slumber. Cradled in his arms. Arms that would protect her no matter the cost.

Trowa had closed his eyes again as he reflected on the previous night. Serena had said a lot to him and even though he didn't fully understand some of it, she had told him how she wanted to be in control of her own emotions and to not just be told how she should think and feel. She wanted to be free to experience them for herself. He wasn't sure if it was just based on her training or something more. He had asked her but she didn't answer. He knew she was hurting from whatever it was, but all he wanted to do at the end was comfort her. Her words were still gripping at his heart as they repeated again in his mind. What had they done to her?

He felt her move before he opened his eyes again. She had turned herself so she was facing him. Her blue eyes staring into his. "Good morning."

"Morning." Serena spoke quietly to him.

Tightening his arm around her he pulled her closer. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

"Why don't you rest while I make us some java?" Trowa watched as a faint smile graced her lips before she nodded her head. He kissed her, he got out of bed grabbing a pair of sweatpants before throwing them on. Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled at her before making his way to the bedroom door. He never saw the frown that came over her face once he had left the room.

* * *

Quatre couldn't sleep. He had tried all night and by seven A.M. he had given up. Dorothy was still asleep next to him so he quietly slipped out of bed making his way to the bathroom. After showering he got himself dressed and by then it was just a little after seven thirty. He wanted to head straight over to Trowa's apartment but he knew that there was a chance that no one would be awake or if they were he wasn't sure he felt comfortable intruding on them so early. Deciding in the end he could just head out for an early breakfast to try and kill some time. Leaving the bathroom he went to check on Dorothy.

"Going somewhere?" Dorothy spoke with her back still turned to him. Quarte hadn't been expecting her to be awake. He figured he could just leave her a note telling her where he was going and his plans then deal with the questions later.

"I was going to go get some breakfast then head over to Trowa's."

Dorothy rolled over staring at him. One of her eyebrows raised in question. "Didn't you just see him last night?"

"Yes." Quatre shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. How was he to explain this to her? He hadn't spent a whole lot of time going over what he would end up saying to her. In fact he had been busy thinking about what he would say to Trowa and Serena that he hadn't thought about Dorothy and what her questions might be. "I just want to see him again and talk about a few things."

"Quatre?" Dorothy said as she sat up. He knew his face must have been giving it away. "What's going on?" Her eyes narrowing at him. Sighing he debated on what to say but in the end he decided it was best to just tell her.

"Do you want to go to breakfast with me and I'll explain everything?" Dorothy stared at him a moment longer before turning her head away.

"Give me some time to get ready and _you_ will explain why you feel the need to rush over to his home this early in the morning." She said pointedly to him.

Dorothy had taken her sweet time showering and getting herself ready. Quatre knew he should've expected it but it did allow his mind still continued to think over the previous night. There was so much that had gone on. Between Heero, Serena and Trowa, he wasn't sure what to make of everything. Trowa had been the easiest to figure out. Quatre was sure that Trowa had feelings for Serena, there was a pull between them. Almost like an invisible thread linking the two. At least that's what he was able to feel from Trowa's prospective. Trowa held strong feelings for her, but Quatre didn't know if Serena reciprocated those feelings.

It was too hard to tell with everything else he was feeling.

His thoughts moved from Trowa to Heero. If he had to guess Heero was struggling with his own feelings towards Serena. Heero had given the impression that he had been for some time and last night just add fuel to the fire. Was it a trust issue? Or did Heero care about her in a way he wasn't comfortable with? Or was it possible that he just didn't understand how he felt about her?

Seeing them together one would swear they were brother and sister. Was it possible they forming a bond that neither of them knew how to define? Quatra shook his head to dispel the thought. He was ending up with more questions than answers. He knew Heero well enough to know a thing or two about him, but this was a completely different matter. Heero's emotions were all over the place much like Serena's. While they kept their exterior composed, it was obvious they were struggling with themselves or each other on the inside.

Bring his thoughts to Serena, she was complex in herself. While Quatre had a good idea of her back ground she still posed questions. The only thing he could up with was that something had happened to her to cause her to feel such hurt and sadness. But if something had happened to her what was it? Was it something J did or was it something ROE had done to her? Did she know something that she wasn't telling them? And if she did know something why was she trying to hide it? Duo had mentioned how Serena had been helping them. She had given Preventers as much information as she could along with doing some side work but Duo hadn't gone into too much detail other than she had spent some time locating members of the organization that had worked their way into Preventers.

Quatre furrowed his brow as he thought. The more he tried to analyze things the more questions he had. He just hoped Trowa and Serena could fill in the blanks, or at least he hoped that Serena would let him see what was going on with her. She was his main concern. They had all gone through so much, from the heartaches to feeling betrayed by the very people you thought you were fighting for, but something about Serena bothered him. He could understand if she was having remorse over what she had done in the past or being upset from the lack of information she had been able to gather. Duo had said briefly that they hadn't gotten any farther with leads and were giving it a break till Monday when they'd all reconvene. All he knew was something was going on with Serena, which seemed to be causing a ripple effect. She was the center of Heero's struggles and Trowa's affections.

Dorothy had finally finished getting herself ready. Quatre looked up to see a smirk on her lips as she place a finger on her lips. "Had enough time to think? Know what you're going to say to Trowa and this _Serena_?"

"Huh?"

"I overheard you talking to yourself. It's not like you Quatre to be so careless with your thoughts. So what has you so worked up?" Quatre stared up at from the chair he was sitting in. He was talking to himself? Dorothy was right, it wasn't like him but then again the circumstances were different. Standing Quatre made his way to stand in front of her. Looking down he tried his best to give her his best smile.

"Let's go get something to eat and like I said before, I'll explain what I can."

"You said "everything." But I'll let it slide this time." Dorothy stood on her toes, giving him a kiss a on the cheek. "Now let's go, I'm famished."

* * *

 _A/N Happy Sunday Funday!_

 _So Trowa is in love, aww... But how does Serena feel? From the looks of it, not too happy? Girl needs to stop playing and just be love Trowa back. That's my opinion, Trowa was bound to fall in love with her and Serena just needs to get her shit together and love him back. Yes harsh but it's true! ;)_

 _Also wasn't it nice to see a Heero and Relena scene!? Relena needs to teach Serena a few things, Relena knows what to do when her man is upset or needs a little TLC. But I do love Heero and Relena and I need to write way more scenes or stories about them._

 _Last but not least... Dorothy... oh yes, I hope you all know whats coming next. If you can't, here's a hint. Dorothy has made her way into the story and boy she'd got_ a lot _to say._

 _Keeping it short for this chapter as I need to go cook dinner! But I hope you all are doing good and that your weekend has been a good one!_

 _-MM_


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

 **Old Acquaintances**

Once Trowa had left the bedroom Serena rolled onto her back looking up at the ceiling. Her hands flying up to her face before she pulled her fingers along her skin. What's wrong with me? She had shown her weakness for a man she wasn't supposed to have feelings for. She never intended for any of this to happen, but she knew she cared about him and when she allowed herself to feel things she vowed to make sure that in the end he wasn't harmed. Physically at least. She couldn't promise that his feelings wouldn't be hurt, but she had to do what she needed to do in order to escape the hold Edwards had on her.

Something had changed from the first time she had met Trowa. She had been curious about him as she watched him sleep peacefully in the chair next to her when she had been strapped to an exam table that first day. She had studied his face and his body. He was attractive, there was no doubt in her mind about it, but when he awoke to her staring at him she had pushed every thought aside. She needed to be cleared headed and he was just a distraction. It wasn't until Trowa had undid her restraints that she saw an opportunity to possibly free herself. Flirting with him was easy, though she had been trained to use her body and her looks to get what she wanted, and it seemed he was more than willing to play along with her.

Then it slowly began to grow from there.

Trowa had spent the better part of two weeks by her side. Bringing her food and just keeping her company. She had thought about leaving several times but she never did. Whether it was because she knew she was safer being in the protection of Preventers, or it was because of her own selfish reasons. It was possibly a combination of both.

Serena knew she needed help and by bonding with Heero and the others her chances of getting out of the mess she had dropped into were better than her trying on her own. She also wanted to know Heero better. Even though that hadn't gone well and still wasn't going well. Partly because of herself and partly because of him. Either way it didn't matter so much anymore. Last night had proved that Heero would never see her as anything but what she was. They would never see eye to eye and he would most likely never change his opinion about her.

Then why did it hurt so much when he refused to answer me? Why does it matter if he cares about me or not?

Serena shook her head against her pillow. She had been weak in front of Heero too. She had thought out of any of them Heero would've understood the most since their backgrounds were similar, though she still questioned if he ever truly understood in the first place. Trying she pushed away the thoughts of Heero to return to her current situation. The one she deemed to be the most important.

Trowa.

She needed to try and pinpoint where things had changed. She had continued to flirt with him even before moving in with him. It was a dangerous game, but she knew how to play it well. Serena knew she had pushed things at one point but he had turned around and caught her off guard. Then there was the kiss. The kiss that had her heart racing and her head spinning. Never had she felt anything like it before. She could feel her face reddening at the memory. It was the start of everything. That kiss had changed her. He had changed her that night.

Serena's thoughts drifted to the things Catherine had said to her the night before. More often than not Serena found herself thinking over the woman's words and she had learned that she cared for Trowa on a deeper level. What those feelings were she wasn't sure, then last night she had let those feelings run ramped. Controlling her actions without a second thought. She had been completely honest with him, to a fault. Some secrets she just couldn't share with him.

Closing her eyes knowing she knew she only had a few minutes before Trowa returned. She needed to understand why she had allowed herself to be so vulnerable with him. Why she felt like she needed him even though deep down she knew that it was the truth. She needed him, but why? She felt safe when she was with him. Her guard could be let down and he never judged her. He accepted her for who she was, even when he didn't know the full truth. He made her feel things she had never experienced before. The butterflies she'd get in her stomach because of him, or the deep almost burning feeling she'd get when they were together. Any time he'd touched her, any time he'd kiss her she felt something. She found comfort in him and sense of belonging. He made her feel alive, like she had never truly been before.

Last night had been no different. He had whispered those words again to her, "I love you." His voice had held so much emotion even while he worked his body to bring her over the edge. But what did it mean? She knew the general definition of love but not what it felt like to love or be loved in return. Was this what it felt like? She remembered her heart pounding in her chest. Why was it that when he said it it made her react in such a way? She had heard the words before, but they never meant anything. And she never felt anything.

Serena's eyes snapped open at the sound of the door being opened. All her thoughts vanishing as she sat up. Trowa walked into the room, a cup of coffee in each hand. Making his way over to her side of the bed, Serena tried to push any lingering thoughts aside. Trowa sat down on the edge of the bed before handing one of the cups.

"Are you alright?" Serena snapped her eyes up to his. Concern written on his face.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thank you for the coffee." She said as she brought the mug up to her lips.

"You're face is flushed, are you sure?" His hand came to up to touch her cheek before he trailed his fingers along her jaw line. Serena was sure her face had reddened even more and it didn't help that a shiver ran through her body.

"Yeah." She breathed. She needed to composes herself but that seemed to be more difficult, especially with him around. Why was she acting like this? She was trained to not have any feelings, made to not have any. And yet a simple touch could paralyze her.

"Did you sleep good?"

"Uh-huh." Serena wanted to slap herself. Part of her was yelling, reminding her to control herself while the other half wanted more. More of him. She felt like she was being torn in two.

Trowa's chuckle brought her back to reality. "You're cute when you're not fully awake." Leaning forward he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her eyes closing from the contact. "Would you like to join me in the shower? Or would you rather stay in bed longer?" Slowly Serena opened her eyes. His soft smile held the same amount of gentleness as his kiss. Maybe just this once she could allow herself this one small comfort. Even when she knew that all of this would one day come to an end. Nodding her head she offered him a small smile of her own.

Even if just for a little, I want to enjoy this.

* * *

Once they were out of the shower Trowa and Serena had dressed for the day before making their way out into the living room. Serena stopped, looking down the hallway that lead to the guest room. Her eyes focused as Trowa came to stand next to her. "I don't think Catherine is awake yet."

"No she is." Serena said. Trowa's eyebrow lifted in question before he heard the door open. Catherine stepped out slowly while holding a hand to her head.

"Remind me to never drink that much again." Catherine groaned as she walked towards them. "How are you not hung over?" She gave Serena a questioning look.

"Fast metabolism?" Serena said as she tilted her head to the side.

"Of course that would be your answer." Catherine groaned again as her head began to pound again.

Instead of responding, Serena headed towards the kitchen. Catherine and Trowa watching her carefully as she returned. "Here, drink this and I'll make us some breakfast."

Catherine stared down at the bottle beer that was being held out to her. "You're joking right?" She said as she raised her eyes to look at Serena.

"It'll help, I promise."

"I don't know..." Catherine was surprised when Serena opened the bottle and held it back out to her. Not a word was said but the strong determined look in Serena's eyes made Catherine think twice about protesting again. Accepting the bottle she held it in her hands trying desperately to ignore the pounding in her head.

"Good. Now go sit and I'll work on some food." Serena spun on her heel heading back to the kitchen where she began pulling out various items before heading to the refrigerator.

"She can cook?" Catherine whispered to her brother.

"She's actually quite good." Trowa smirked at the questioning look Catherine was giving him. "She's been making all of our meals since she started staying here."

Catherine's mouth formed an "oh" before a smug smile graced her lips. "She's definitely a keeper then." Trowa was about to ask what she meant by it when Serena spoke, pulling his attention away.

"Catherine are you drinking that beer yet?"

Catherine sighed before taking a sip. She cringe at the taste but managed to swallow. "Yup." She tried to sound cheerful despite the fact she was anything but cheerful.

"Just drink it. A shower might help relax your body and help rid yourself of that headache. It also probably wouldn't hurt to take something as well." Serena frowned slightly before turning her head away. "Breakfast will be ready in a little."

Catherine looked to Trowa who only shrugged his shoulders. "She's got a point. Duo's told me that you should drink something the next morning to help ease the hangover and you usually feel better after."

"Thanks for the help." Catherine grumbled before making her way towards the bathroom. Beer in hand. Trowa shook his head as he walked over to Serena who was busy cutting up vegetables.

"She's not thrilled with you making her drink that."

"She'll get over it." Serena said. Never taking her eyes off the task she was doing. Trowa sat down at the island watching her. He offered to help her but she refused. Serena was stubborn at times but he wasn't going to push her. She seemed to be busy with what she was doing and it seemed her mind was elsewhere. Much like his.

Serena hadn't said anything to him about the previous night. When he had brought her a cup of java she had been flushed and seemed to be nervous. He had brushed it off when she agreed to join him in the shower. It had become a normal morning routine for them. With stolen kisses and light touches he hadn't pushed for sex even though he had wanted it. Her body seemed to have relax more under the hot stream of water and her smile had returned to normal. The one that reached all the way up to her eyes. Trowa had wondered if she even remembered anything and what had been said between them. Taking a chance he got up and walked around the island to where Serena was standing over the stove. Wrapping his arms around her, he brushed a kiss to her shoulder. "I love you." He murmured against her skin. Trowa felt her tense before her body relaxed into him.

"I know…" She said quietly.

"So you do remember?" Trowa asked as he loosened his hold, allowing her to turn to face him.

"Yes." Her eyes held a questionable look. "If you're looking for me to respond back with the same. I can't."

"I know." Trowa said. To him it didn't matter. She knew how he felt and she hadn't run off. "When you're ready." He offered her a smile before lowering his head to kiss her. Her arms finding their way around his shoulders as the kiss deepened.

Catherine walked out into the living room before looking to the kitchen where Trowa and Serena were standing. A smile tugging at her lips. The two seemed oblivious to her and for the first time she witnessed Trowa being affectionate towards someone. While she was happy for her brother, she had seen enough. Clearing her throat she made her presence known. Trowa pulled away turning his head towards her. A blush coloring his cheeks while Serena glanced at her before turning back to the stove. "No getting handies while I'm here." Catherine winked for good nature.

Trowa hid his face as Catherine came to sit at the island. He wasn't one to openly kiss someone in front of anyone that knew him. He kept his relationship's behind closed doors and the only time he'd showcase anything was when he was out on a date. But even then he limited it to when he was alone with someone.

"Are you feeling any better?" Serena asked.

"A little better yes. Though drinking a beer first thing in the morning isn't something I normally do."

"Finish it." Serena said as she turned around, a plate in her hand. "And eat this."

Serena had made an omelet stuffed with vegetables and cheese. Catherine looked down at it before looking back up. "Thank you?" Serena nodded her head before turning back to the stove to start another one. Catherine had been surprised but in a good way. Serena had seasoned the omelet just right and the various vegetables she had added brought a lot of flavor to something as simple as an egg.

Catherine ate quietly next to Trowa while Serena stood opposite them. After a few minutes Catherine decided to start up a conversation. "So Trowa tells me you've been cooking for him since you started staying here?"

Serena looked up from her plate to see Catherine smirking at her. "Yes."

"What else do you do around here if you don't mind me asking?" Serena's brow lifted this time. Catherine hadn't asked anything like this night before.

"I take care of the apartment."

"So you clean and cook. Do you do laundry as well?"

"Yes…" Serena looked to Trowa trying to understand the conversation she was having with Catherine.

"I see." Catherine nodded her head before turning to look at Trowa. "I stand by my earlier statement."

"What earlier statement?" Serena questioned. She shot Trowa a look but he lowered his head, hiding his face behind his bangs.

"That you're a keeper." Catherine said with a wide smile on her face. Trowa looked up in time to see Serena's mouth open before closing. Her eyes wide as she stared at Catherine.

"Keeper?" Serena caught Trowa's movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning she looked at him. "What does that mean!?" Trowa felt bad when he couldn't help but laugh. It also didn't help that Catherine had started laughing with him.

"It means Trowa shouldn't give you up. A woman like you is hard to come by so he better be smart and treat you right." Catherine couldn't help herself, she tried to hold in the laughter as Serena's face paled and her eyes grew wider.

"Serena." Trowa said as he reached to touch her hand. Her head had dropped breaking eye contact with them. He was going to apologize for laughing when she spoke.

"I don't wanna know and I'm just going to make another pot of coffee." Serena shook her head as she pulled her hand away. Turning she busied herself with just that. Trowa looked to Catherine who simply smiled at him and mouthed "I like her." Shaking his own head he got up to start helping Serena clean up the kitchen.

* * *

After the kitchen was cleaned and more coffee was made the three sat down in the living to talk. Catherine seemed to be feeling better and had been asking Trowa how work had been prior to Serena. Serena on her part hadn't taken any offense and chose to stay quiet while Trowa and her talked. He had asked how the Circus was doing and if they were planning on travel to Earth any time soon. Serena's ear had perked up at the mention of it. Serena had asked if he'd be going back if they came to Earth. When he asked her why her smile had widen. "I'd enjoy watching Catherine throw some knives at you."

The conversation had stopped until Trowa's laughter broke the silences. He had told Serena about the different performances he used to do. Even though she knew most of them. But he had learned that she had never seen one of their shows. He promised her that if they ever came to Earth he'd take her, and possibly put on his old costume to do a few acts with Catherine. Once Trowa had explained what Serena was referring to he decided to ask them about their "girls night."

Catherine had jumped straight into tell him everything she could remember. They had gone to dinner at a restaurant not too far from the apartment and Serena even agreed that the food was good. Trowa filed the information away. He had thought about taking Serena out again, and with all the stress they had been under; especially her, a night out would do her some good. From there he learned that they started bar hopping. Catherine had laughed when she said she had to explain to Serena what the term meant. Trowa glanced at Serena, who only shook her head. He knew she didn't understand some terms used by people and Catherine had seemed to pick up. She had apologized to Serena for laughing about it again before she continued on with her story.

"Then we ended up at this one bar that was doing karaoke. I tried getting Serena to go up on stage with me." Trowa couldn't hide his smirk. Karaoke and Serena sounded like a good idea in theory, but he knew that it wasn't something she'd do. "Then this girl went up singing a song and I told Serena how terrible she was doing and before I knew it she was up on the stage!" Trowa eyes grew wide as he glanced at Serena who was trying to hide behind her coffee mug. He wasn't expecting to hear that bit of information. "Oh!" Catherine said a little too loud. "I got it on video!"

"You got what!?" Serena said snapping her head up.

"Of you singing last night. I found it this morning on my phone. I remember you doing it but I couldn't remember if I had taken a video or not." Catherine moved to sit on the arm of the chair Trowa was in. "Here!"

Trowa took the phone from Catherine hitting the play button. He'd be lying if he wasn't memorized by her. Serena had a smile on her face while she sang and had even gone as far as to engage the crowd. She looked like she belonged up on the stage. Trowa couldn't help but smile. He had never heard her sing that before.

"She's incredibly!" Catherine beamed. Trowa had to agree. Serena was, but he had already known that. Glancing at Serena he could see her face growing redder. "They had her stay up there for a couple more songs before finally they let her get off the stage." Catherine giggled.

"So you only sing when you've been drinking?" Trowa smirked at Serena. He watched as her face reddened even more.

"You knew she could sing!?" Catherine stood placing her hands on her hips. Trowa laughed before handing her phone back.

"Yes."

"And why didn't either of you bother to tell me this!?"

"I don't sing for people." Serena stated.

"Then why did you last night?"

"Because you said you liked that song and the girl was terrible." Serena said flatly.

"Wait… you sang because I liked a song?"

"Yes? You said you liked. Am I wrong?" A confused look came over Serena's face.

"No… it's just… you sang because of me?"

"Yes." Serena didn't understand why Catherine wasn't able to understand that. She thought it was pretty straightforward.

"But you won't sing for him?" Catherine asked pointing to Trowa.

"I have." Serena elaborated when Catherine threw her a questioning look. "Sort of."

"So if we get you drunk again will you sing for him?"

"No." Serena deadpanned.

"What if I put on some music? Will you sing then?" Catherine's kept her hands on her hips. "Don't you want to hear her, Trowa?" She said turning to him.

"Always." Trowa smirked when he caught Serena's glare. He knew he wasn't helping her situation, but he couldn't help but tease her a little bit. It wasn't like Serena never teased him.

Catherine turned on her heel heading over to the stereo that sat under the TV. Turning it on she searched for a channel that was playing some hip-hop. Serena crossed her arms over her chest when the music started playing. She had zero intention of singing.

Catherine stood turning around to face Serena, her smile wide as she waited. When Serena refused to do anything she shot Trowa a look. Trowa shook his head. He knew Serena wouldn't do it. She had only done it once for him and even then she had been on the quiet side. For whatever reason Serena refused to sing to anyone. He had questioned whether or not it was related to her past, but decided it was just her being embarrassed by it.

Catherine shook her head before moving to grab Serena's arms. Pulling her up, Catherine moved her around the coffee table to stand in the middle of the room. Then Catherine started dancing and singing along to song trying to encourage Serena to follow suit. Serena crossed her arms over her chest again, standing her ground. Catherine bumped into her causing Serena to look up, she winked at her while she continued to dance. Catherine was doing the same thing she had done the night before.

Serena shook her head. A smirk playing on her lips. Fuck it. She thought to herself. Might as well enjoy myself, right? Uncrossing her arms she began to join in.

"There you go!" Catherine cheered before joining Serena again. Trowa's brow shot up as he watched the two. Serena had thrown herself full force into it. Her and Catherine danced while Serena sang along to the song. But what made Trowa smile the most was the carefree look on Serena's face. She was laughing while singing which only made Catherine smile more. For once he was seeing her enjoy being the twenty-two year old she should've always been. Not the the girl who the night before he held close, trying to banish her fears.

Trowa had been lost in watching them that when he was unexpectedly pulled to his feet he didn't realize what was happening. Catherine had dragged him over to Serena who was smiling at him. Catherine tried to encourage him to dance, but dancing wasn't something he enjoyed; at least this type of dancing. What was worse was when Serena had rubbed up against him. Her eyes sparkling as she tried to get him to move. Trowa shook his head before stepping away. Catherine protesting while Serena laughed.

He made a mental note to make sure the next time Catherine came to visit that he made himself scarce. Especially if Serena was going to team up with her. Making his way into the kitchen he opened the fridge to look for something to drink when a knock came from the door. He glanced at the girls who didn't seem to hear anything and was about to dismiss it when another knock came.

Making his way to the door, Trowa opened it to see Dorothy and Quatre standing on the other side.

"Hello Trowa." Quatre smiles.

"Seems like we're missing some kind of party." Dorothy said. Trowa turned looking at Catherine and Serena who were still dancing and singing along to the whatever song was on the radio. Neither seemed to have a care in the world.

"Oh so this is must be the famous Serena I've heard about." Trowa turned back to Dorothy. Blinking he stepped aside as Dorothy made her way in. Quatre sending him an apologetic look as he followed her.

As they made their way towards the living room Dorothy noticed the smile on Quatre's face before she turned her attention back to the girl's. She knew Catherine was here and was excited to see her again. But she more interested in who this Serena really was.

Dorothy stopped dead in her tracks as she got a good look at the brown hair girl. The girl Quatre had described looked an awful lot like someone she had known. It wasn't until Serena turned to face her that Dorothy knew exactly who she was. "Aria?"

* * *

 _A/N Happy Friday!_

 _I was tempted to name this chapter something silly. Really it was hard not to. YOLO. Hahaha if I can't laugh at myself then there's something wrong with me. Anyway, so Serena does have feelings, feelings so a special green eyed pilot. Wink wink. I'm sure you all knew that, I mean c'mon she can't be a heartless b**** or can she be? Hm something to think on._

 _And Dorothy! What is going to happen? How does Dorothy know Serena and why is she calling her Aria!? Well to answer those questions you'll have to wait for the next chapter :D._

 _-MM_


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

 **Favors**

Serena froze the moment she heard the name. It was one she hadn't heard in over two years, but the voice that had spoken it was all too familiar. It could only be one person… She should've known there was a chance she'd be here. Dorothy was never one to miss a party.

"Oh my god…" Dorothy's hand flew to her mouth. "Aria Clark!?" The other woman standing before her looked slightly different than the one she had met but there was no mistaking it. They were one in the same.

"Dorothy Catalonia." Serena said as her eyes narrowed at the other woman. "It's been a while."

"You two know each other?" Quatre asked looking between both girls. Catherine had turned off the music before coming to stand next to Serena. Her expression mirroring that of Quatre's. Confusion.

"Yes, yes we do." Dorothy said calmly after a moment. "Isn't it such a surprise to see you here of all places." Dorothy said as she spread her arms. "Tell me how have you been Miss Aria? Or what is it now?"

"Serena, though I'm sure you already know that." Serena's eyes sparkled as she spoke. Her lips curling up.

"Ah yes, Miss Serena. May I ask how you came up with such an interesting name?"

"If I told you, you know I'd have to kill you." Dorothy's eyes grew wide for a moment before she collected herself. She wouldn't allow someone like Serena to have her running for higher ground. She knew Serena wouldn't dare try anything in front of everyone.

"Dorothy? Serena?" Quatre asked nervously. He could feel the tension radiating off them. "How exactly do you know each other?"

"Mutual acquaintance." Serena offered.

"What mutual acquaintances?" Trowa asked as he moved closer to Serena. She never mentioned she had met Dorothy prior to her meeting everyone else. Serena looked up at him, her face softening slightly as she gave him a look of "not now."

"Well this is interesting." Dorothy purred as she brought a finger to her lips. The look that passed between Serena and Trowa hadn't gone unnoticed to her. "Quatre, you forgot to mention that Trowa was involved with such an intriguing individual." Serena snapped her head back to Dorothy. Her eyes flashed a warning and Dorothy knew she had won the upper hand. "You never answered my question from earlier. How have you been?"

Quatre glanced at Dorothy before turning back to Serena. He had purposely left that detail out of his conversation with Dorothy. The warning Serena had sent Dorothy only confirmed that Trowa and her were definitely involved. Coupled with the fact Trowa had taken a step closer to Serena. Quatre knew he needed to focus, to read between the lines along with listening to the conversation and prompt the appropriate questions when necessary. Though he had a feeling he wouldn't be doing much talking, even with the mystery surrounding Serena growing in his mind.

"You should know." Serena said flatly.

"Last I knew you ran off. Poor Michael was devastated by it." Dorothy said.

"Who's Michael?" Trowa asked Serena. He knew Serena had a past but hear the possible name of an old lover had his heart racing. He couldn't image her being with anyone else but himself.

"No one." Serena said. Never taking her eyes off of Dorothy. "You still speak with him?"

"Of course I do. He was at the Charity Ball last night. Still missing you as always." Dorothy smiled a little too wide when she spoke. What Dorothy couldn't understand was why Relena hadn't said anything to her about Serena. She had been completely taken back when Quatre told her some details about the woman, but obviously not enough. When Serena was going by the name Aria, she had been a force to reckon with. She was polite and well educated. Prefect in her roll of a millionaire's girlfriend. She could have me and woman falling to their feet whenever she entered a room. But there was another side to her. She was ruthless when she needed to be and Dorothy had learned that first hand.

"Such a shame." Serena said as she moved a hand to her chin. "Should've killed him when I had the chance."

"What!?" Dorothy's eyes grew wide.

"He was merely a pest. You know that as well as I do." Serena's eyes shined. "Always looking for the next best thing."

"How dare you." Dorothy seethed. Michael may not have had the most cleanest of hands, but the fact Serena was speaking so poorly about someone who was once again going to potentially become an investor with Quatre's company had her blood boiling.

"Seems someone couldn't handle rejection well."

"Michael was a business partner." Dorothy turned up her chin.

"Oh yes, if I remember correctly you wanted him to help fund a repair project for L4?" Serena smiled wickedly. "But that wasn't all of it was it?"

"What do you know?" Dorothy seethed. She wasn't going to back down.

"You were in over your head. I was the one who pulled him from that project." Serena deadpanned.

Dorothy's eyes grew wide. Serena, or rather Aria had told her the same thing all those years ago. She had threatened her into ending the partnership before it ever took off. "We lost millions because of that!" She shouted.

"It was for your own good." Dorothy watched as Trowa tried to turn Serena to face him. The corner evident on his face.

"Serena?"

"Don't worry, Trowa. Dorothy just has some pent up anger towards me. I guess you haven't been able to let go of that?"

Dorothy let out a low growl. "You!" She pointed a finger at Serena. "Are beyond words. What kind of game are you playing this time!?" Dorothy swung her eyes to Trowa. She had had enough. "You better watch yourself. She's nothing but lies and betrayal."

Serena chuckled. "I could say the same about you."

"How dare you… I'm not some heartless bitch who runs around playing with someone only to leave them for no reason!" Dorothy seethed.

"Heartless bitch huh? I've been called worse. Though Michael wasn't as fun as I thought he would be." Serena saw the fire burning in Dorothy's eyes. But she knew how to play the game just a well as Dorothy.

"You..." Dorothy was at a loss for words.

"I played his pretty little game, but only he was the one to lose." Serena purred as she walked closer to Dorothy. "You can't fight fire with fire. If anything I did you a favor. I should've wrapped my hands around his neck..."

"Stop!" Dorothy yelled. Taking a few deep breaths she calmed herself enough to speak. "While I may agree with you, killing him wouldn't have helped." Serena's eyes flashed.

"How much do you know?" Serena asked.

"More than you think." Dorothy collected herself as she brushed imagery lines from her dress. "I will put our past aside for the time being. I do believe that you have some questions for me." Serena took a step back. She could feel not only Trowa's eyes on her but Catherine's as well.

"I think we owe them an explanation." Dorothy nodded her head in agreement.

"Damn right you do!" Catherine had finally had enough. "Within the last twenty-four hours I've learned my brother is dating some girl who he happened to stumble upon while out on a mission. No offense Serena." Serena lifted her brow but said nothing. "Then I find out that you two know each other. Dorothy we've been friends for years and…" the words died on Catherine's lips. "Oh my…"

"What?" Serena asked. Turning fully to Catherine.

"You're the girl Dorothy spoke about from the New Years party." Serena racked her brain for the information. But she came up empty handed. Frowning she looked to Dorothy for the answer. She didn't want to admit it but she had a feeling that memory wasn't shown to her for a reason.

"Yes… she was the girl I told you about. At the time I hadn't learned your full name till after the festivities ended."

"What happened?" Serena narrowed her eyes.

"That was the night Michael first introduced you to his company. Don't you remember?" Serena shook her head.

"Did anything happen?"

"No." Dorothy saw the confusion on Serena's face before she pulled it back into a mask. "You were the main conversation of night though. People couldn't seem to get enough of you. They had praised you as the perfect potential wife. If Michael was going to run for a seat in the Senate, they felt you would've been a key advantage to securing a spot for him." She found it odd Serena had no memory of the night. She had been in the spotlight the whole evening. Wowing everyone who had attended.

"Hn." Serena wasn't sure she wanted to know what had transpired that night. If she had no recollection of it, chances were J hadn't shown her. But the question was why hadn't he?

"Why don't we all sit." Quatre looked around to everyone. "It seems like we have a lot to discuss." He had been hoping to speak privately with Trowa and Serena but at this point he didn't think it was possible. While Dorothy and Serena had calmed down and neither of them looked like they were about to kill each other he figured it'd be best to listen to what each of them had to say. It would also allow him to observe not only Serena but Trowa as well.

Once everyone had settled into a seat, Catherine, Dorothy and Quatre taking a seat on the couch while Serena sat on the arm of the chair Trowa was in. Quatre noticed the protective nature in which Trowa was sitting as his hand found its way to her back.

"What can you tell me about Michael?" Serena spoke, breaking the silence.

"Nothing you don't already know. He hasn't changed much other than his bank account has grown over the last two years."

"How?"

"That information I'm not privileged to."

"Hn." Serena thought over what Dorothy could possibly know. "How information do you have on Michael?"

"In relation to what?" Dorothy asked as she crossed her legs over one another. "If you're wondering about his business practices I can tell you he's become interested in Winner Corp again. He came to me not long ago asking if we could try again with a deal." Serena didn't like that. Something was telling her if Michael was looking to join up with Winner's company something must have changed. "As far as his other business deals, word is he's been working one of the largest underground markets."

"What trade is he in?"

"Material goods." Serena frowned, that wasn't much to go on. "That information I haven't been able to find out more about. Though I had heard rumors before hand that he had been in the business for some time. Probably before you met him." Dorothy elaborated. Serena's eyes narrowed more as she looked at Dorothy. That was something she hadn't known. But she wasn't going to doubt Dorothy's words. It could've been another reason Edwards wanted Michael so badly.

"Are you talking about Michael Faulkner?" Quatre asked looking between Dorothy and Serena.

"Yes." Serena said. "Three years ago he wanted to invest in your company."

"Yes I remember. He wanted to help finish the solar paneling to the outer walls of the Colony." It wasn't like Quatre didn't have the money himself, but when someone walks in offering up a couple million dollars to help finish a project that had started a few years prior, it was hard to say no. Quatre caught Trowa eyeing him. Trowa was looking for more information himself and it was clearly written in his eyes. "I only met Michael a few times before the deal was pulled. You were the reason why?"

"Yes." A failed attempt at starting the end of ROE. "When I learned who he was planning to work with I couldn't allow it to happen. I took the steps necessary to have him withdraw his offer, or to have you back out. Though someone didn't much care for that." Serena said glaring at Dorothy. "You were in over your head and snooping around trying to dig up information on someone like Michael would've only gotten yourself killed."

"What are you talking about?" Trowa needed to know at this point what was going on. If this Michael had connections to ROE why hadn't Serena brought up his name?

"Michael was given a generous amount of money to try and convince Quatre to partner with him on future projects. If Quatre took the money to finished the solar paneling, then Michael could work on other things. Like sourcing trade between ROE and L4. Not to mention Quatre still owns a few resources satellites." If everything had gone as planned, Michael would've been given a position within the government Edwards was hoping to create.

"Then why did you ever say anything about him before." Trowa frowned. Was she hiding this to protect his feelings or because she felt it was irrelevant?

"Because the deal fell through. Edwards dropped Michael and I returned to my regular duties. It wasn't worth pursuing him." Serena tried to not sound so harsh. She knew she was coming off that way and it really wasn't Trowa's fault.

"Because of you." Dorothy seethed. She was still bitter from finding out Serena had been the cause of them losing the investment.

"You would've gotten yourself killed." Serena repeated. "Quatre was a target whether he knew it or not. How would it look if Winner Corp was involved with a group looking to take over the Earth's Sphere and Colonies? Not to mention it's a general known fact who all the Gundam Pilots are."

"Serena's right. I may not be up to speed on all of this but to have my name tied to a group like this would mean disaster for not just me but the company as a whole. Everyone would be investigated and we'd end up losing everything. It's taken me so long to build back up the Winner name that something like this could ruin everything." Quatre frowned at the realization that everything he had been working towards could've been taken away from him.

"You wouldn't have been around long enough to see that." Serena said turning her head away. She saw Quatre frown and knew he was probably upset by what she had said. But it was the truth.

"Are you saying Quatre is still a target!?" Dorothy's eye growing wide.

"You're all targets based who you are. Not to mention your close ties to Relena."

"Relena!?" Dorothy's face had gone pale.

"There was an attempt on her life a few weeks ago. Serena managed to help stop it but it became clear what we were dealing with." Trowa answered vaguely.

"You mean to tell me you work for this ROE and that Relena's life is in jeopardy!? Not to mention the rest of us as well!?" Dorothy point a finger at Serena. "What I can't understand is why you're not locked up in some cell while Preventers handle this. It's obvious you're the root of this problem!"

"Dorothy!" Quatre yelled. "Serena's been working for Preventers as a Liaison. She's been helping to gather any and all information."

"I don't need you defending my actions, Winner." Serena turned stoney blue eyes to him. "Without me, Preventers wouldn't have known anything about ROE or their intentions. Had Watson succeeded in killing Relena, they still would've been without anything. It only would've allowed ROE to take advantage and propelled them into acting sooner rather than later. My leaving has bought us some time, but how much I don't know. It's already been over a month and we're still not any closer to finding the location of their main headquarters or my Gundam."

"Gundam!?" Catherine, Dorothy and Quatre echoed in unison. Serena placed a hand on her head knowing none of this conversation was going to go over well. Not only did she have Quatre trying to read her, and Dorothy's bitterness towards her wasn't helping any. Catherine looked like she was about to either faint or fly off the couch and hit her. Serena wanted the whole conversation to end and to end soon.

Trowa sensed Serena's discomfort. Placing a hand on her leg he decided to step in. "ROE has a Gundam; Serena's Gundam, along with an unknown number of Mobile Suits. We're to believe the Gundam was completed and being housed somewhere in space but we haven't been able to track down the location yet."

"And you have no idea where it is?" Quatre turned his attention to Serena. "If it's your suit why wouldn't you know?"

"The suit was built in separate locations. I only had access to the cockpit. The only good news is no one else can pilot it but me." Serena moved her hand back to her lap. She didn't dare reach to touch Trowa's hand, even though he was trying to comfort her.

"I doubt that." Dorothy scoffed.

"The ZERO system is programed to me and me only. If anyone else tried to use my suit the system won't respond. Even if you managed to power up the machine, you wouldn't be able to do anything."

"You're able to use the ZERO system?" Quatre asked. Though he knew well enough if Serena was trained by J, chances were she was trained to use it.

"Yes. It's an advanced version of the one you used." Quatre cringed at the memories. He wouldn't voice it, but he gave Serena credit for being able to handle the system, let alone one that was more advanced than the original.

"What exactly does ROE plan to do?" Quatre looked between Serena and Trowa waiting for one of them to answer.

Trowa squeezed Serena's leg gaining her attention. "Quatre may be able to help. He has the resources and connections."

"I'm already endangering enough people as is. Asking Quatre to come in on this…"

"Whatever you need, I'll do it. I just need to know what's going on." Quatre cut Serena off. Trowa looked to Serena who had her eyes on Quatre before she turned to look at him. Nodding her head Trowa turned to look at everyone before taking a deep breath.

After some arguing and much to his relief, Trowa finished informing everyone of everything they knew. While he still left out some details, like Serena beating Edman till he passed out, he had told them everything he thought was important. Catherine, who hadn't heard the full truth till now was looking anything but pleased with him or rather him and Serena. Trowa had been grateful that Serena had felt out certain things when they had first met, but now it seemed like that was coming back to bit them in the ass. Dorothy and Serena had gotten into another argument only to have Quatre step in and defuse it before he was able to continue.

Tension was still running high in the room, but it seemed like everyone was starting to settle down. Once Quatre thought it was safe enough he spoke, breaking the silence that had settled over the room. "So you're at a stand still?"

"Pretty much." Serena said. "Without knowing where my suit is we can't do too much, other than wait for them to make another move, but that's not really an option either."

"Not necessarily." Dorothy said. "You just need to find someone willing to talk."

"And who would that be?" Serena rolled her eyes at Dorothy. She was done arguing with her and was ready to send her on her way till she had an idea. "Dorothy, you said earlier that you still speak with Michael?"

"What are you getting at?" Dorothy narrowed her eyes.

"I need a favor."

"A favor? For you?" Dorothy laughed. "Well if that isn't the funniest thing I've heard all day."

"Michael just might be that person willing to talk, and who better to get him to talk than you?" Serena's eyes sparkled. Dorothy glared at her before folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't do favors, especially for people like you."

"Liar." Dorothy's glare hardened at Serena. "You do them all the time and especially for people like me."

"When one does a favor of this nature, they expect the something in return." Dorothy countered.

"You'd be saving millions of lives." Serena offered. She didn't like the idea of owing anyone anything and her history with Dorothy, she'd rather not owe her anything.

"I wouldn't be considered the hero in this situation. I'm not sticking my neck out for nothing."

"Dorothy." Quatre turned to her. He couldn't understand why she was being so stubborn with Serena. It truly seemed like Serena was trying to help and doing everything she could to stop this organization. "If we can help then we should. What I don't understand is why no one contacted me when all this came about." Quatre said looking to Serena and Trowa. "I may not be full time but I can always help."

"You weren't informed during the arrests made on L4?" Serena shot Trowa a look. Quatre should've been in the loop and why wasn't he involved from the start? Especially during the arrests. That question had come to mind before but then she got into with Dorothy.

"No and what arrests?" Quatre looked baffled. He hadn't been unaware of anything on his home Colony.

"Why would Une purposely not tell Quatre?" Serena asked Trowa directly. "I even know Quatre's part time but for something like this, especially on his Colony, why wouldn't she have called him?" Trowa thought on, something he hadn't done before. They weren't even told until the meeting.

"The only thing I can think of is that Une felt it best to keep Quatre out of all of this." Trowa looked to Quatre before turning to face Serena. "Think about, if any of them saw Quatre coming to arrest them for their involvement with ROE it could've set off a chain reaction. Word would've gotten out fast and we could've lost some of those people. You said they all know who we are, it would've been a dead give away."

"Hn." Serena closed her eyes, thinking over what Trowa had said. "Makes sense, but to not inform him in the first place makes me wonder. I hadn't bothered to ask Une myself. She said she was going to handle it."

"If I may." Quatre spoke up. "From my understanding; from what I've been told at least, is that you're not even supposed to be know to anyone. Une could've left me out of everything for that reason alone. She knows I'd drop everything if I was truly needed. If anything I can ask her myself." Quatre offed Serena a smile.

"She's going to be so thrilled." Serena mumbled.

"I wouldn't worry. I'm sure I was bound to find out sooner or later." Quatre laughed. "Besides, I'm guessing you'll be staying here now." He gestured to both of them.

"Oh I think she will be." Catherine smiled brightly. "I expect lots of nieces and nephews." She winked at them. She may have been angry at them for not telling her the truth, but she knew Trowa was happy being with Serena and she wasn't able to ruin that for him. Serena slipped from the arm of the chair, falling into Trowa's lap causing Catherine to laugh. "Don't start now!" She teased.

Serena's bewilderment didn't go unnoticed by Dorothy or Quatre. Quatre felt the panic rising from Serena before it turned into confusion. He watched as she scrambled to her feet, giving Trowa an apologetic look before turning back to face them. Her face becoming a mask once again, even with her slightly blushed cheeks.

"I want you to set up that meeting with Michael and make it happen soon. We don't have much time and we need to find out where they are and where my Gundam is." Serena directed her words at Dorothy.

"I'll think about it."

"Dorothy." Serena let out a low growl. She had enough for today.

"Fine." Dorothy waved a hand at her. "I'll call him tomorrow on our way back to L4 and schedule something."

"I expect you to contact me with confirmation."

"Contact you?" Dorothy eyebrow rose. "I can always just contact Heero or Trowa after."

"I want you to call me." Serena left the living room making her way into the kitchen. Grabbing a pad and pen she wrote down her number before heading back to the group. "Call the minute you hang up with him. Do I make myself clear?"

Dorothy looked at the paper before taking it from Serena. "Why is it so important that I call you?" Serena's lips curled up.

"Because I know how much you hated Aria." Dorothy eyed her carefully. "I hated her too."

Dorothy sat back watching Serena for a moment longer before her own lips turned up. "I never did like her. But she was good at her job."

"I never enjoyed the way he played the game."

"Straight to the point." Dorothy chimed in. "That was a quality I admired."

"I don't like playing games that are unnecessary."

Dorothy stood, smoothing out her dress. "As you should. I'll contact you when I have any information. But we must be on our way. We have lunch plans with Relena and Heero."

Serena's smirked widen. She knew Heero was probably not the happiest of campers at this very moment. "You're not going to tell them anything are you?"

"Of course not." Dorothy flipped some of her hair behind her shoulder. "I'm not that foolish Miss Serena."

"Good."

It wasn't just Quatre who was dumbfounded by the change between Dorothy and Serena. The two had gone from insulting each other at various times to smiling at one another. He glanced at Trowa and noticed the raised eyebrow as he stared at them. Catherine had leaned close enough to him to whisper "what's with them?" Quatre only shook his head. He knew he would have to speak with Dorothy when they were alone.

Standing up he joined Dorothy, he extended his hand out to Serena. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Serena. I hope next time we'll be able to talk more." Serena took his hand and he was surprised at how firmly she had grasped it.

"Nice meeting you, Winner." But it wasn't all he felt. Within the short span their hands had been joined he felt the same emotions he had the night before, only more profound this time. It was like an electric shock and it took everything he had in himself not to react to it.

Sheer pain, sadness and confusion. It was so overpowering he almost missed the smallest hints of happiness. How could someone like her mask everything so well? Quatre looked into her eyes and even though her face betrayed nothing, her eyes shown the same emotions. Why was she hurting so much?

"You better get going. Don't want to be late." Serena's smirk told him that she knew. She knew he was reading into her and that he had felt something.

Dropping his hand back to his side he debated saying something, but after a quick glance around he realized it wasn't the best time to speak with Serena. They needed to be alone and even if he managed that before him and Dorothy left, he had a feeling Serena wasn't going share anything with him. Trowa drew him out of his thoughts as he came to stand next to Serena, offering his hand.

"It was good to see you, Quatre."

"It was good seeing you too, Trowa." Quatre smiled as he shook his friend's hand. He noticed how happy Trowa looked and even more how he felt. Trowa was beaming on the inside. Was he in love? Quatre watched as Trowa wrapped an arm around Serena, pulling her closer. Trowa's smile said everything, he was in love with Serena. Without thinking Quatre blurted out, "does anyone know about you two?"

"Just you guys." Trowa chuckled. Serena seemed anything but pleased but she concealed it well.

"I'm sure I don't have to explain to you not to say anything." Serena said flatly.

"Ah." Dorothy said with a wicked smirk of her own. "This is why you don't want us saying anything to Relena and Heero. I'm guessing someone wouldn't be too thrilled to find out about this intriguing relationship." And just like that whatever had changed between Serena and Dorothy ended. Serena was glaring at Dorothy while Dorothy's smile only widen. Before anything else could be said Dorothy moved to hug Catherine goodbye. Quatre followed suit, saying his goodbyes before Trowa walked them both to the door.

Quatre's head was spinning as they walked down the hallway to the elevator. From the moment Trowa open the door till the time they left, none of it had gone how he had hoped it would. In the end it only left him more confused. "Dorothy?" Quatre wait till Dorothy had put her phone away before continuing. "What do you think of Serena?"

"That's a loaded question." Dorothy said as she placed a hand on her hip. "Why do you want to know my opinion?"

"Because of the way the two of you acted." Quatre sent her a disapproving look. Hoping she'd understand that he wasn't exactly happy with her about it.

"Oh that?" Dorothy waved a waved. "Her and I just understand each other."

"What do you mean?" Quatre was skeptic to say the least.

When they heard the ding for the elevator, Dorothy turned waiting for the doors to open. Once they had she took a step forward before glancing over her shoulder. "I like her and I can respect someone who can play on the same playing field as myself." With that she swung head around, letting her hair fall back around her shoulders. Quatre stood still as he stared at her with wide eyes. Dorothy liked Serena?

"Are you coming? We don't have all day." Dorothy said as she tapped her foot. Her finger was pressing what Quatre assumed was the button to keep the doors open. Shaking himself he stepped on to the elevator with her. If his mind was spinning before, now it was a full fledged tornado.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Hump Day!_

 _If you're left with more questions then I've done my job with this chapter! Poor Quatre, I think he had high hopes for figuring out some things but at least he learn that his best friend is in love. That's a good thing right? I'm sure Quatre will figure things out... or hopefully someone will tell him when the time comes. As far as Dorothy, it's a love hate relationship with Serena. Or rather Aria. Aria Clark was one of Serena's codenames as well as one of her personas. What she did.. well I can't tell you that, but Aria is very interesting. Maybe we'll learn more? Or maybe we won't. I know I'm such a tease, but your questions will be answered in the story and if not you can just ask :). I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I can't wait for what's about to happen in the next two chapters. I hope I can surprise some of you!_

 _I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far and for all those who have favorited and follow this story! I haven't given you guys a shout out in a while and thought it was time to do so. I appreciate it more than you know! I hope you all have a great day and thank you again for reading my story!_

 _-MM_

 _P.S. 5,500 words before I added this. Whoops. Sorry not sorry for this being a long one!_


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

 **Final Night**

Dorothy had thought their lunch date with Heero and Relena had gone over well. True to her word she hadn't mentioned that she had met Serena or even that she knew her. Normally she would have been more than happy to gossip about it, but something about Serena had her thinking twice. It wasn't that she was afraid to go head to head against Serena, it was more of their history. She had only known Serena for seven months before she disappeared, almost as fast as she had appeared.

At the time she found it odd that someone Michael was dating was also working alongside him. Dorothy had heard rumors about Michael and how he was considered an entrepreneur. He had money and he knew how to spend it. Some might think he was foolish with his spending, but he always managed to make back what he spent, or double it. Parties, woman, you name it he did it. So when _Aria_ came into the picture it seemed… odd. At least from what her sources had told her.

Dorothy wouldn't admit, but she had been pushing to meet Michael. He had money and they could always use a sizeable donation. So when Serena had ruined everything, Dorothy had tried to find out even more about her. Only her search ended as soon as it started. The Aria Clark she had met never existed. All her credentials that she had been able to find were forged. Someone had gone to great lengths to make her _exist_. She was raised on Earth and travel between the Colonies with her family before the wars broke out. After her father continued to work for an insurance company. But none of it was true. She didn't have a family and she was never born on Earth.

Why would someone go to all that trouble just to have her leave in the end?

The deeper she had dug the more strange things had become. Michael's background; what was on record at least, was spotless. But that wasn't always the case as she knew very well herself. It was all about the people you knew and _who_ knew you. Michael had ties to some business partners that if the police or even Preventers found out about would probably have landed him in jail for some time. All of it made Dorothy question if he was possibly involved in the same group as Serena was.

She knew she would need to find out more about him before their " _meeting_ ", but what information she was supposed to find out she wasn't sure. It's not like she could ask him outright if he was involved in any illegal activities. She couldn't help but wonder why Serena was so interested. Desperation could drive anyone to seek out information some any source available, but that didn't seem like her style. Maybe she knew something, or rather she knew Michael was her key to finding her Gundam.

All of it was intriguing, there was no doubt. It had been a while since Dorothy got to play such a role. One to find out people's secrets and more often than not, use them against someone. But would any of it be beneficial to Serena, more importantly Preventers. She could have to consult Quatre about it. Which brought her to another set of thoughts.

Quatre has been more quiet than he normally was. Deep in his own thoughts. While he kept up with conversation it was obvious he was thinking about something or rather _someone_. Though he had watched Heero closely at one point, most likely gauging his emotions. But Dorothy knew he was more focused on Serena. In the short amount of time he had learned about her he had become almost obsessed. He knew something, but what that something was he wasn't sharing. She had tried to ask him but he had brushed it off, telling her he was thinking over his meetings for the week for when they returned to L4. Dorothy wasn't foolish, she knew he was lying and she had allowed him to lie to her. Whatever it was, he'd eventually crack and tell her. It wasn't in him to hide things for too long.

For now she'd put it aside. She needed to figure out how to convince Michael to meet her. And hope he didn't suspect anything.

* * *

It probably wasn't the smart idea, but given the afternoon they had had, Catherine suggested that they go out. Or more like she told them they were going out. Serena had busied herself on her computer and isolated herself for a few hours. Catherine had told him not to worry that she was just trying to cool off. Once Dorothy and Quatre had left Serena's face had slipped from a mask of indifference to anger. Dorothy had probably gotten under her skin and she was just now showing it.

It wasn't like Dorothy had never gotten to anyone at one point or another. But it didn't mean Trowa wasn't worried about Serena. He had given her space, spending time with his sister. He had checked on her but she seemed too busy to even acknowledge him. She grunted some responses but that was the most he had gotten from her until Cathy decided to step in. She had calmly walked to over to the table before slamming shut Serena's laptop.

"What the hell!?" Serena flared up at her.

"You've been staring at that screen long enough." Catherine wagged a finger at her. "I think it's time you took a break."

"I don't need a break, what I need to do is find my _damn_ Gundam." Serena growled. She was still irritated from the morning. Dorothy and Quatre's unexpected visit threw her off. What was worse was having Quatre watch her so closely. She had let know she was on to him, though it hadn't been till the end of their visit.

"Well I'm saying you're done. We're going to go out, enjoy ourselves and that's that." Catherine placed her hands on her hips.

"We went out last night."

"Not all three of us. Plus it's my last night and I say we go out. Now go change and we'll head out for dinner."

Dinner had gone well, or as well as Catherine had hoped it go. The restaurant they ended up at had been a small hole in the wall place. Catherine had asked the hostess for a booth, making sure Trowa and Serena sat next to each other. It had taken some time but Serena had finally lightened up and seemed to be enjoying herself. Trowa's smile was a good indication of it. Regardless of what had transpired earlier Catherine still stood by what she had said earlier, that Serena was perfect for Trowa. They complemented each other and to her they made a rather cute couple.

Serena seemed different, she had blushed more whenever Trowa said something to her. And she hadn't pulled away when he draped his arm around her. Catherine thought that maybe she was becoming more comfortable in her presence and it seemed Trowa didn't mind showing some affection towards Serena. They didn't kiss, but even if they had Catherine knew she wouldn't have minded it. It was nice to see her brother happy and even better to see Serena smile.

Though it could've been from the alcohol.

After dinner Catherine decided they should head to a bar. Though Serena had protested it to the ever end it still didn't stop her from dragging the irl into one just a few blocks away from the restaurant they had just ate at. It wasn't long before Serena had stepped away from them and out into the small dance floor where a few other people had gathered.

"You should dance with her." Catherine said as she leaned in to Trowa.

"I don't dance." Trowa said as he frowned at his sister.

"And you and I both know how hard it is to convince her to anything." Catherine pointed a finger at him. "I got her to sing earlier and now she's out there dancing by _herself_."

"You had her take a few shots."

"Yes and it's obviously worked. So take the opportunity and dance with her! Just remember don't get too touchy, were out in public." Catherine winked at him.

Trowa could feel his face burning with embarrassment. It was obvious to Catherine since she was chuckling at him before giving him a shove in Serena's direction. He cast a glance over his shoulder to only see Catherine encouraging him to go.

Slowly he made his way over to her. Serena's hips swaying to the music and as she looked over her shoulder he saw a gleam in her eyes before she turned to fully face him. He reached his hands out to take hold of her hips moving her closer. Keeping a light hold he felt her hips roll as she continued to dance. Her arms coming up around his neck as she looked up into his eyes.

Serena hummed along to the song as he tried to focus on her as she moved her body. Her shoulders swaying slightly along with her hips. He hadn't realized he was looking down till he brought his eyes up to see her lips curled up into a smirk.

"Just follow my lead."

 _Yeah, like I can swing my hips like that._ He thought to himself. "Sure thing." Serena pulled him closer, whispering in his ear.

"Don't think. Just feel and follow what your body tells you." She pulled away spinning herself in his arms. One of her arms came up to reach around his neck as her hips ground into his. Trowa sucked in a sharp breath. His body wanted to do anything but _dance_ right then. Lowering his hands back to her waist he let her guide him. Serena glanced back at him with a devilishly smile.

* * *

Nick had followed them from the restaurant to the bar. At first he thought they were out of their minds since Delta and the redhead had been out drinking the night before. But it seemed both were doing fine now. The redhead hadn't been drinking anything other than what looked to be water but Delta had taken a few shots of something. He never knew she could handle her liquor so well.

He had stayed in the back of the bar watching as Delta made her way out into the dance floor and began to dance. It would've been so easy to grab her then, but she wasn't alone. Which meant waiting longer. If he could just get close enough to her without her or anyone else noticing then he could leave and return to space.

Nick frowned when he saw Barton join her. His arms wrapping around Delta as she did the same. Their bodies moving together as one. There was no doubt Barton had fallen victim to her ways but what irritated him the most was that everyone at one point or another had gotten a piece of her, expect him. It did help when he watched as Barton leaned in to kiss her.

His stomach turned and angered welled up within him. Delta was staring into Barton's eyes, a smile on her face as if he was everything to her. It made Nick want to punch him for how close he had gotten to Delta. How was it possible for everyone else to get her but him? He had tried but never succeeded. She had turned others away countless times but yet a lucky few managed to get through her defenses.

 _How did he do it?_ Nick thought to himself. Barton must have done something, something to gain her attention. _But what if she picked him and not the other way around?_ It was possible Delta chose him for who he was, or for the convenes. Especially if she was staying with him and had been for some time now. But what was so special about Barton? Sure Barton was a Gundam pilot and that was something they had in common, but it wasn't like he wasn't a MS pilot himself. Was it the physical difference? Nick shook his head at the thought. They were almost of the same build but Barton was slightly taller. So what captured Delta's interest that he hadn't been able to do?

She wasn't the type of girl who liked flowers, he had learned that the hard way when he once brought her some. She had dropped them to the ground before stomping her foot down on them, crushing the petals like she had his feelings. Did she think she was too good for him? Nick gritted his teeth together at the thought. She probably did. Delta had more power than she would ever know. People would bow down before her and when they took over, she'd be sitting right next to Edwards.

Delta would be the one in control after Edwards, why would he have picked someone so young and for her to be by his side if that wasn't the case? There was no other way to explain it.

Then an idea formed in Nick's mind. If he could convince her that she was better off with him than anyone else, he stood a chance at gaining power. Maybe she had already planned to overthrow Edwards and rule the new government herself. She had been trained to after all. Then he'd have endless possibilities with the power he would gain from it. But then again, he didn't necessarily have to convince her. He could just _program_ her to be his.

Nick smiled to himself. It would only be a matter of time. Barton couldn't be with her every single minute of the day which only meant he needed to wait just a little longer. Tomorrow is always a brand new day.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _It's still Sunday Funday! Though I am late on this and well... this chapter is short. Just needed to pass the time since you can't really go from Sunday afternoon-ish to Monday morning without something in between. I just really want to get to the next chapter so this just a filler chapter, take it for what it is. Though there were some key things in this chapter and hopefully some of you were able to pick up them up. I'm going to stop talking because I'm too damn excited about the next chapter :-D! It should be up, very very very soon. *cough, Monday Morning, 9 A.M., cough*_

 _-MM_


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty-One**

 **The Begin of the Truth**

Monday Morning  
Nine a.m.

Heero had been feeling like something was wrong, or going to go wrong. Yesterday had been exactly great but it wasn't terrible. Relena hadn't questioned him about Serena, something he was grateful for. He was still confused in some ways, more or less about his feelings towards Serena. He had thought he understood but when he had awoken he only felt torn. He knew what was right and what he should've done, but part of him, maybe his pride wouldn't let him. It wasn't that he didn't care about her, because he did. She was a vital asset to Preventers and her welling being was of the most importances. They needed her. His rational side reminding him of this. Then there was the more human side, the one he had been learning more about over the years. Buried feelings suppressed over time but not completely forgotten. That side telling him he did care because he knew how she felt. To be alone in the world, only following orders and never truly living for yourself. While he still valued his training and everything he had learned, he wouldn't trade what he had now for the life he once lived.

When he had gone to lunch with Relena he had to admit he wasn't thrilled that he had to see Dorothy. Quatre was one thing but Dorothy tended to get under his skin at times. Though for once she hadn't. Her and Relena had spent the majority of the time talking which meant he was left alone with his thoughts. Though it didn't help that Quatre kept looking at him, like he was searching for something. He had tried to hide anything and everything from Quatre. This one topic was one he didn't Quatre's help with.

It wasn't hard to guess that he was trying to gauge his feelings about Serena. Quatre had been there, watched as him and Serena argued. Everyone had seen it. She had been upset and Heero was sure the amount of alcohol she had consumed only added more fuel to the fire. She had been trying to seek his approval, had been from the beginning. He wasn't so blind that he couldn't see it, he just couldn't trust her. But he knew he needed to, especially now more than ever.

Heero was making his way through the hallway to speak with Une about why the morning meeting had been pushed back a few hours. When he rounded the corner he spotted her speaking with Senator Gates.

"Commander Une, I hope you can help me with a problem." Senator Gates said with his back turned to Heero.

"What seems to be the problem Senator?" Une caught Heero's eye as he headed towards them.

"I'm looking for someone." Gates turned his head when he left someone standing near him.

"Who are you looking for Senator?" Une lifted a brow as she looked at him.

Gates locked eyes with Heero before addressing Une's question. "She looks a lot like you, Preventer." Turning his head back to Une, "I'm looking for a missing person. I was hoping we could discuss this in private?"

Heero shot Une a look before she agreed to speak with Gates. The two walked into her office shutting the door. Heero turned on heel making his way to the stairwell to take him down to his floor. Stepping back out into the hallway he made his way to Trowa's office. The feeling he had had earlier that morning felt like it was coming true. Something wasn't right.

Without knocking Heero opened the door, looking around he only saw Trowa who was seated at his desk with a confused look on his face. "Where is she?" Heero asked as he walked over to Trowa's desk.

"Serena?" Trowa lifting a brow.

"Where the hell is she?" Heero turned dark eyes on him.

Trowa checked his watch before looking back up to Heero. "Spaceport. She brought Catherine there and was going to make sure Catherine made it onto her flight. Why are you asking?"

"When does Catherine's flight leave?"

"It was for nine, Serena should be on her way back." Trowa didn't understand why Heero was questioning him. Une knew Serena was going to see Catherine to the spaceport which was why the meeting got pushed back.

"Senator Gates is currently speaking with Une about a missing person. He said that she looked a lot like me." Heero pulled out his cellphone selecting a number before he bring the phone to his ear. "Serena can't come here. She needs to go back to your apartment and wait till one of us gets there."

"Heero what's going on?" Trowa stood up narrowing his eyes at Heero.

Heero ignored him waiting for Serena to pick up. When she didn't he cursed under his breath as he ended the call. "She can't come here, not with Gates here. Keep calling her, I'm going to go find out what's going on." Heero said before turning on his heel, practically running out of the room.

Trowa ranked a hand through his hair. Whatever was going on was starting to worry him. Heero had made it clear that Serena couldn't come to HQ. Grabbing his desk phone he dialed Serena's number. When she didn't answer his fear started to intensify. Heero had said Gates made a comment about a missing person and how they looked a lot like him.

It could only mean one thing and Trowa was pretty sure Heero had already figured it out.

Hanging up he tried again from his cellphone. Maybe if she saw both his numbers she'd know it was an emergency and answer. All he knew was that he needed to speak with her, to hear her voice and make sure she was okay. His heart pounding in his ears with every unanswered ring.

* * *

Serena left the Spaceport making her way back to Trowa's SUV. She had dropped him off at work before heading to the Spaceport with Catherine. Everything had been going smoothly. Catherine thanked her for dropping her off and staying till she boarded her shuttle. Serena had left shortly after not wasting any time. She knew Catherine was fine and there was no need for her to hang around. She needed to get back to HQ to meet with Trowa before going to find Heero. Even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted to do, but her and Heero needed to hash a few things out before the meeting.

As she was nearing the SUV she felt someone grab her, spinning her around before pushing her into the driverside door. Then she felt something press into her neck before the person pulled away enough for her to face them. She didn't recognize the guy that was holding her right away. She had met him maybe once when she was still with ROE.

"They've been looking for you Delta." He grinned at her as he pushed her more into the door. "You'll be coming with me back to..."

Serena never let him finish as she brought her knee up into him. When he released his hold on her she grabbed his head twisting it till she heard his neck snap. Catching him just as he started to fall. Serena glanced around before unlocking the SUV, throwing the body into the back. Shutting the door slightly she walked to the back opening the trunk. Looking around she found a large blanket tucked to the side. Grabbing it she closed the trunk before moving back to the passenger door. Throwing the blanket over the body she shut the door again before looking around one last time. Satisfied no one had seen her, she climbed into the driver seat. Starting the engine, she calmly made her way out of the parking lot and onto the street.

* * *

Heero goes to Une then goes to Trowa. The two go down to the parking garage to go find Serena when they find her.

Heero's anger flared itself to life the second he left Une's office. Senator Gates was looking for a someone, that person was described as being a female, early twenties with long reddish-brown hair and green eyes. At first Heero thought nothing of it, even with Gates comment lingering in the back of his mind. It wasn't until Une produced a photo Gates had left with her that everything started falling into place.

Heero had been staring at a photo of Serena. Even under all the makeup he could still see that it was her. In that single moment he felt a wave of emotions wash over him. Anger or what he thought was anger at the forefront. But there was also fear. He was angry not just at Serena for lying to him once again, but also because _someone_ knew she was with them. Whatever was going on needed to be handle and fast. Une has ordered him to find Serena and bring her back to HQ as quickly and quietly as possible. If Gates was lingering around they still needed to keep Serena hidden.

By the time Heero got to Trowa's office he felt like he was going to explode but he needed to stay calm and collected. There could've been an explanation for everything, for why Serena hadn't told him or any of them about Gates. Even as he kept repeating that to himself, his teeth still continued to clench.

Without knocking he pushed open the door to Trowa's office. Trowa was standing by his desk with his phone cradled against his ear. Heero made his way over to where Trowa was standing trying to gauge whether or not he was able to get a hold of Serena.

"Damnit Serena pick up!" Trowa yelled into his phone before ending the call. Panic was starting to set in. She _never_ ignored his calls.

"You haven't been able to get a hold of her?" Heero asked gruffly.

"No, she hasn't answered any of my calls." Trowa shook his head. "What the hell is going?"

"That's something we're going to have to ask Serena. Let's go we need to find her." Heero turned making his way back out of the office not bothering to check to make sure Trowa was following him.

* * *

Heero hadn't told Trowa anything as they made their way to the parking garage. The only thing he said was that they needed to find her and that they should start with his apartment before heading to the Spaceport. There was a possibility that Catherine's flight had been delayed and Serena was still with her. But why wouldn't she have answered the phone or even called to tell someone that? Both Heero and Trowa knew that she would've had service.

When they pushed through the side door to the parking garage they spotted Trowa's SUV pulling into to one of the empty spaces. Heero wasted no time jogging over to the vehicle just as Serena opened the door to get out.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Heero growled at her as Trowa came to stand behind him.

Serena eyed him before moving to the passenger door. Throwing it open she pulled the blanket that was covering the body in the back seat. Turning her head she said nothing to Heero and Trowa.

"Shit." Heero raked a hand through his hair before grabbing her arm pulling her away. He slammed the door shut before turning to her. "We're going to Une's office, _now_."

The three made their way through HQ, normally they would hide Serena from preying eyes but this time Heero didn't care. He held onto her arm as he dragged her through the hallways. Something was definitely wrong, not just with Gates but with Serena. She hadn't even protested as he took her through the building. Her face was a stone mask and what was eerier was the fact she hadn't said a word.

Heero didn't bother to knock on Une's office door before he opened it pulling Serena in with him. Trowa followed shutting the door behind them. No one had said a word and Trowa starting to worrying more about what was going on.

Une shot her head up as the three entered her office. Heero pulled Serena to a chair before telling her to sit. Une noticed the hard expression on both Heero and Serena's face but Trowa's was a mask. Folding her hands together she addressed Serena. "I think you need to explain something to me, Lowell."

Une watched as Serena's eyes narrowed slightly. Reaching under a folder, she removed a photo. Une held it out to Serena for her to take. Une watched Serena's face for any sign that Serena knew who the photo was of.

Serena leaned forward taking the photo from Une. It was a picture of her but with green eyes instead of her normal blue eyes and reddish-brown hair. Une watched as Serena's face hardened, her jaw clenching before she slammed the photo down on her desk. "Where did you get this?"

Folding her hands back together she looked at Serena before speaking. "I had a lovely visit from someone."

"Who brought this to you?" Serena knew where the photo was taken. She had been sent on a mission to presway someone with ties for a transport company that would allow goods to be sent from Earth to the Colonies. It just so happens that it was around the same time she had met Michael.

"Senator Gates stated that the person in that photo had gone missing. One of his employees had asked him if he could bring it to our attention." Une harden her eyes as she spoke.

Serena's jaw clenched harder as she tried to stay calm. None of this was adding up. "Gone missing huh? Wouldn't know."

Une folded her hands in front of her, keeping her hardened eyes trained on Serena. "The question is Lowel, what are you not telling us?"

"Guess someone's missing their toy." Serena sat back in the chair glaring at Une. They were looking for her. She knew it would happen eventually but to have them come for her only meant they wanted to start putting their plan into action. "They're looking for me."

Une lifted her brow, "What do you mean?"

"Someone from ROE found me at the Spaceport. Also with the fact that someone sent whoever this Gates is to bring you this photo as a warning." It was the only thing she could think of. The only plausible explanation. They knew she was here in Brussels and with Preventers.

"Where is the person that found you?"

"Dead." Serena's lip curling up. Sending just one person was a joke to her. It would take more than that to capture her.

"What?" Une widen her eyes as she looked at Serena.

"He's in the back seat of Trowa's SUV." Heero stated as calmly as he could. Everything was turning into a huge mess and at this point he wasn't sure on what course of action they needed to take.

Une swung her eyes to Heero before turning them back to Serena. She took a deep breath before continuing, they could deal with the body later. "Serena you need to tell me what's going on or I can't help you. Gates seemed to know a lot about you."

"I don't know who this person is. Last I remembered there was no Senator by that name."

"Senator Gates recently took over the position of Raymond Rickburge while he's on leave due to medical issues."

Serena's eyes went wide. "What?" Serena's heart started to race. Something wasn't right with what Une had told her. "What does he look like?"

Une looked between Heero and Trowa before moving her hands to her keyboard. After a moment she turned the screen around to face them. "This is Senator Gates." Une saw Serena's eyes go wider.

Serena felt her body start to tingle. Her hand automatically reaching for her neck. Edwards had somehow managed to get Gates into the ESUN. How long had he been in that position? It had to have been after she was forced into isolation. Had Gavin continued with the original plan even without her knowledge? But Gates wasn't supposed to be the one to take a position within the senate. Did that mean they knew where she was the whole time? But how did they find her?

"Is this someone you know?" Une asked, but it seemed Serena was anywhere but with them. "Serena who is this?" Serena snapped her head back.

"They want me back. They know I'm here. " Serena shook her head. She didn't know how much longer she had before she needed to leave. Everything was falling into place, maybe this is what they wanted. To turn her while she was still in the custody of Preventers. "They'll pay someone, make some deal with someone in order to get me back. Without me they can't complete their mission."

"What do you mean?"

"They own me. They'll do whatever they have to do in order to get me back." Reality was setting in more. They'd always own her, always be able to control her. She'd never be free.

"What are you talking about?" Heero asked.

"You think J just handed me over to them? They paid him a nice sum of money for me. Without me, they can't take over the ESUN. Don't you get it!" Serena said bitterly as she turned to face him. Anger growing in her stomach.

Trowa had been quietly watching and listening but he could feel Serena's anxiety. Her body language telling him. "They can't own someone."

Serena swung her eyes to Trowa."You'd think that, but they can and do. They'll come for me, he won't stop till he has be back."

Trowa took a step closer to her, kneeling down so they were eye level. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you tell _me_? We can protect you while also taking them down." Trowa tried to stay calm, maybe if he was able to she'd be more willing to tell them what else she knew.

Serena tightened her eyes before turning away from him. "You can't protect me."

"That's not true, we can and will." Trowa watched as she turned angry blue eyes at him.

"You can't protect me from myself." Her voice was low as she went on. "They own me, they _control_ me. You can't stop me once they have me." Serena felt a sharp pain in her head. Her time was running out. She needed to leave before she did something she'd regret.

Trowa watched as her eyes went wide for a moment before she schooled her face. "Serena, just tell us…"

"No." Serena stood forcing Trowa to stand as well. "I'm leaving, I'll handle this myself."

"Serena you need to stay here, you can't do this on your own." Trowa pleaded.

Serena turned fiery blue-black eyes on him. "I'm leaving, if you value your lives do not follow me." Trowa went to grab her by the shoulders to stop her only to have Serena push his arms away. "Stay away from me." She growled. Heero went to make a move to stop her before a gun was pointing at him. "I'm warning you, stay away."

Heero cursed under his breath. He never bothered to check her for an kind of weapon but part of him never expected her to threaten him with one. Weighing his options he slowly raised his hands. "Go."

Serena glanced around the room before slowly backing away. Once her back was to the door she opened it slowly as she lowered her gun. She walked backwards out into the hallway before turning to shut the door behind her. Another sharp pain corsed through her head as she ran down the hallway towards the stairwell.

Trowa swung angry eyes at Heero. "You're just going to let her leave!?"

Heero glared at him for a moment. "I know you saw her eyes, Barton. We don't know what she's thinking or what she's going to do. Letting her go was our only option."

The shock of what had just transpired was slowly fading as Une looked between Heero and Trowa. Slowly she stood up hardening her face into the poside Commander she was. "We will now consider her a threat to this agency."

Heero and Trowa looked to Une. Neither of them spoke as they listened to the rest of what Une had to say. "We need a plan of action as for what we're going to do and what we plan to do if we should encounter Serena."

* * *

Serena had run out of the building, never stopping to look back. She threw her phone and gun into Trowa's SUV before heading out to the street. She needed to get as far away from them as she could. Her head was pounding with every step she took. Her heart racing as she tried to to fight the inevitable. She had become too unfocused, she should've checked her surroundings but she had been too preoccupied with getting back to Trowa that she didn't think twice about anything else. If she had none of this would've happened.

She felt foolish for her mistake, for being so careless. It was her own fault and she couldn't put the blame on anyone else. They had found her, tracked her down somehow and could be anywhere waiting for her. Waiting for the moment she became consumed by the monster she was. She could fight it, but in the end it would always win. She had gotten lucky this time. All the training she put herself through had paid off enough to buy her some more time. Subconsciously she had been fighting against herself before even arriving at Preventers, but slowly the pain, the one sheer sign that things were about to change had started. From there she couldn't stop the progress, she knew the only safe way to not hurt any of them was to leave. They couldn't save her, but she could try and save them from herself.

When her vision started to blur more she turned down a side street into an ally. Leaning against a building she tried to calm her breathing and her heart rate. The pain growing as she closed her eyes. There was no use fighting it anyone. She was losing herself to what she had truly become all those years ago. No longer the same girl she had once been. Even when she couldn't remember what it was like to be herself. She had died years ago and she knew she'd never be the same, but she had seen light at the end of the dark tunnel she called her life. _Hope_. With one last thought of her own she felt herself fall to the ground as the darkness consumed her. The end of her and what little freedom she had once had.

* * *

Trowa stormed out of Une's office after Heero laid out his "plan." Une had agreed to it, which only set his anger into a full rage. They were willing to sacrifice Serena's life for the sake of stopping ROE. While Trowa understood that it may of been the most logical thing to do he couldn't help think how wrong it was. They weren't even going to try to save her. There had to be some way to help her, to stop her before she hurt herself or someone else. But not knowing what she was planning to do made things that much harder. Heero had warned him not to engage her if he happened to find her. Trowa was to call in for backup and if she tried anything he was to aim to kill.

Trowa walked into his office slamming the door behind him. How could he possibly kill her? How could he possibly even lay a hand on her? He loved her and he could never do anything harm her, regardless of what Heero had said.

Heero had told him that he would try and find out where she went but there was a possibility she might return to wherever she came from. Why did she run? He had promised her that she wouldn't be alone in this and that he would do everything within his power to help her, but she still ran. Was she scared of what might happen? Was she trying to protect him? Trowa didn't know what to think anymore. Even with his anger threatening to spill over he was still worried. Worried about her safety and what was happening with her. Closing his eyes he leaned against his door. He needed to figure out a way to find her before ROE or Heero did. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. That was his promise and he be damned if he couldn't keep it.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy; I'm already over this terrible Monday!_

 _I'm not going to write a long message as I am littary over today. Just one of those days. So a lot of shit happened in this chapter and yet we still don't know what. Well good news! Next chapter we find out because I have it set up to be three days after this chapter takes place and I'm keeping it like that. I'm sure you'll all agree that you would love nothing more than to know what the F is going on with Serena rather than waiting any longer than you have for the last 41 chapters now. :-D. I will leave it at that. Happy reading and thanks for stopping by!_

 _-MM_

 _P.S. I hate Monday's..._


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-Two**

 **Darkness**

Three days had gone by with no sign of Serena. They had been working overtime to double their efforts of finding where ROE was hiding. But lack of sleep was starting to wear on Trowa. He hadn't been able to sleep since she walked out of Une's office. Heero told him that he hadn't been able to find anything information as to where she might of went. Trowa didn't read much into it. He took the information for what it was and knew that if Serena wanted to be found, she would've made her known by now. She was like Heero after all.

Trowa had returned to his apartment to find it empty every night. Nothing was missing and he had checked the first night and every night since. Hoping that maybe that she had returned to get something of hers. Or at least to leave him a note, something to let him know she was alright and she had been thinking about him.

He end up leaving work early, per Heero's wishes. In Heero's words he looked like shit and he felt like shit. He couldn't sleep at night, his thoughts always about Serena. He was worried, he was even scared something had happened to her. He tried to block out the idea that she was hurt somewhere, alone. Or worse. _Dead._

Trowa shook himself as he made his way to his apartment door. Telling himself he needed to get some sleep. He would be of no use to anyone if he didn't take care of himself. Everyone was already stretched thin as it was. Duo had even been spending the night at Preventers along with Wufei. Quatre had tried to call him but he only ignored his calls. Maybe he should have talk to him. Maybe Quatre knew something or felt Serena's presence somewhere, but if that was the case he would've just called someone else and told them. But maybe he wouldn't because he knew about their relationship. Trowa decided that it wouldn't hurt to call him back, but not till the morning. He needed sleep.

Taking his key out he inserted it into the deadbolt, unlocking the door. Once inside he immediately noticed something was different. The curtains were closed blocking any light from coming in. The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he quietly shut the door behind him. He started scanning the apartment as his hand rested on the grip of his gun. Making his way into the living room he moved to the lamp that sat on one of the end tables, flicking it on he saw the presence he had felt when he entered his apartment.

Standing off in the corner she had her head lowered, allowing her hair to fall around her face while her arms stayed crossed over her chest. Trowa didn't move, or make a sound as he watched her carefully. Slowly she lifted her head before pushing herself off the wall. Her eyes were different, it was the first thing he noticed. They were dark, almost black in color. Her face had also changed, a dark mask holding no emotion. Then she smiled. A smile Trowa wasn't so sure about.

She was wearing black ripped jeans with a low white v-neck shirt and the black jacket she always wore. She had worn this exact outfit before, but this time it seemed she was wearing it for him. He didn't move, couldn't move as she started circling him like he was her next meal. The predatory look in her almost black eyes said it all as she came to stand in front of him.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she took a step towards him. "Are you afraid of me?" She purred.

Trowa swallowed hard. This wasn't Serena. This wasn't _his_ Serena. Looking at her the way she spoke, even the way she was moving her body wasn't her. Something had happened and for the first time, he was afraid of her.

"No…" He said before swallowing again.

"Good." She said, curling her lips up into a wicked smile.

Before he could think she lunged herself at him. Her lips crushing his. She pushed him down onto the couch straddling his hips as she ripped off her jacket. He didn't even realize he was responding back to her heated kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He hadn't been expecting it. He had been ready to fight her off, if he had to. But this...

Her mouth was hungrily searching his own. It was almost like she couldn't get enough, and almost as if _he couldn't_ get enough. He couldn't deny her, he couldn't deny himself. She had wrapped herself around his heart and no matter what, he wasn't going to let go. Her hands were in his hair as she pushed back his bangs. When she lifted herself up he moved his hands, reaching down to grab her ass. Her body pressing into his before she slid back down into his lap again. Then she broke the kiss, pulling away from him.

Trowa looked into dark black-blue eyes, eyes that weren't hers. Her chest heaving slightly as she stared at him. Then he saw something flash in her eyes. "Serena…" he spoke softly. His own breath not having returned to normal.

Once she heard the name it was like being woken up abruptly. She snapped herself out of whatever trance she was in. She sat up straighter as she kept her eyes on his. They were slightly glazed over with lust but concer shone through them. "What'd you call me?"

Trowa had seen the change in her the second he said her name. Sitting up more he saw the confused expression on her face. "Serena."

"Why did you call me that?" She said as she lifted herself off him. Standing she stared down at him.

Trowa didn't understand at first. Why was she asking him this? Then it hit him. She didn't know who she was. Did she even know who he was? "That's your name." He said as he stood up, reaching a hand out to her.

"Stay back." She commanded, as she took a few step back. Her eyes darkening even more.

Ignoring her warning he took a step closer to her.

"Serena." He said again. Her face hardened as he took another step closer to her.

"Stay back." She said in a low growl. Trowa stopped, a bewildered look on his face.

"Why?" Serena watched as his face hardened when she didn't respond. "Why?" Came the question again. Trowa was about to take a step toward her to close the distance between them when the words hit him.

"I'll kill you…"

"What?" His eyes widening.

"I'll kill you." Her voice was flat. Her words holding no emotion.

Taking a chance he stepped right in front of her. Causing her to look up to make eye contact with him. His eyes locked with her for a moment before he grabbed her waist dipping his head to kiss her hard on the lips. Serena placed her hands on his chest pushing him away from her.

"Are you crazy!?" Her eyes growing wide.

"You're not as dangerous as you think you are." Resolve shown in his eyes as tried to take a step towards her again.

"You're foolish. You have no idea who or what I am." She laughed bitterly at him.

"I'm not afraid of you."

Her laughing stopped as she looked at him. "You're too trusting, Barton."

"With you that may be. But I know who you are, and _this_ isn't you."

"Know who I am?"

"Serena, you may not remember me, but I know who you are." Taking a chance he stepped closer. "Let me help you to remember." He reached a hand up to touch her cheek. "Trust me."

"I don't trust you." Her eyes narrowing. The words stung as she spoke them, but Trowa tried not to pull away from her. If he could just get through to her, maybe he could bring her back to the Serena he knew. Trowa watched as her eyes softened slightly. A flash of deep blue shone for a moment before fading. "I don't even trust myself… I can't stay, Trowa." The words spoken just above a whisper.

"But…" his words died on his lips as she crushed her lips to his. It was an intense kiss that had him spinning. He wasn't expecting her to kiss him again and when she pulled away, he was already missing her touch.

"Don't follow me, it's for your own good." With that said she walked passed him and out of the apartment.

When he heard the door shut, Trowa sank back down the couch. Running his hands over his face, he tried to make sense of what had happened. Was he going crazy from not sleeping and the stress of everything? Was he missing her that much that he imagined the whole thing? Shaking his head he looked down to the floor where her jacket lay. It was real, she had been there. Something had happened to her and he wasn't sure what had caused her to not remember who she was. But whatever it was causing this hadn't completely taken over her. _She's still in there… I saw it… even if it was just for a second…_ She had said his name and even the look in her eyes showed him a small part of her was still there. There was hope, but he just needed to figure out what to do.

* * *

Serena walked down the hallway, thoughts flying through her head. She had gone to kill him, but she couldn't. She couldn't even remember why she was going to kill him. Instead she acted on something else. _Why did I kiss him?_ She didn't even know how she knew his name but it was almost as if it was familiar to her. Like she had spoken it hundreds of times before. _Why do I know him? How do I know him?_

She was trying to piece things together but she came up empty handed. She thought about their conversation. Telling him to stay away from her. _Why would I do that?_ She was so lost in her own thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She never saw that there was someone walking towards her.

Heero had left Preventers to check on Trowa. He was worried about his health and wanted to make sure that he was going to be okay. Trowa has dived into the work load Une was throwing at them. Like everyone else, but Trowa has been even quieter than usual. He wasn't giving his own opinions or even commenting on anything being discussed. Half the time he had left whatever room they were in to hide in his office. Heero knew he hadn't been sleeping. The bags under his eyes were a tell tale sign of it. Was he really that upset over Serena leaving?

Relena had come to see him since he had been spending the past few days at HQ. But after telling her he was leaving she had asked to come along with him. He didn't think it was a good idea, even though Relena had been worried herself. He had told her about what had happened and why he was going to be working more in his office versus staying in hers. He asked her to go see Sally and telling her he'd only be gone for a little before returning to take her home for the evening.

Stepping out into the hallway he saw Serena leave Trowa's apartment. He was about pull his gun out when he noticed something off about her. She wasn't looking where she was going and her eyes were clouded over with a mixed expression on her face. He starting walking towards her, his hand on still on the grip of his gun.

Serena saw someone standing in front of her as she came to a stop. Slowly she lifted her head. He was looking at her, searching her face for something. He looked familiar but she couldn't pinpoint where she knew him from. _How do I know him? What's his name again?_ Then a sharp pain ran through her head.

Heero watched as her eyes grew wide as she looked at him before rolling back in her head. As she started to fall he reached out grabbing her before she completely fell to the floor. His heart racing as he stared down at her in his arms.

 _What just happened!?_

* * *

Trowa had his elbows on his knees as he held his head when he heard banging on his door. He had still been trying to make some sort of sense of everything. He couldn't help the chill he felt running through his body.

"Trowa!" Heero yelled from outside the door.

Trowa jumped up running to the door. Flinging it open he saw Heero holding Serena in his arms. Quickly he stepped to the side as Heero rushed past him. "What happened?" Trowa asked following him to the couch.

"I saw her in the hallway. She just collapsed." Heero's voice sounded rough, as he struggled to understand what happened. He turned his head to Trowa. "What was she doing here?" He asked.

Trowa looked down at Serena. "I don't know… she was just here when I got home." Trowa didn't want to elaborating on what had actually happened.

"Did she do anything? She didn't hurt you did she?" Heero asked as he stood up.

"No." Trowa said flatly as he stared down at her.

"I'm calling Sally. Grab your things, we're leaving." Heero reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

* * *

Sally had been talking with Relena in her office, when her cellphone rang. Looking down at it, she saw Heero's name. She shot Relena a look before answering. "Heero..."

" _Sally, we have a situation."_ Heero cut her off.

"What do you mean?" Sally eyed Relena as she listened.

" _It's Serena, she collapsed."_ Heero sounded like he was rushing to speak to her.

"What do you mean she collapsed?"

" _I don't know, she just fainted. We're bring her to HQ, can you be ready?"_

Sally turned away from Relena as she saw the worried expression in her eyes. "How fast can you be here?"

" _Fifteen minutes."_

"I'll be ready." Heero hung up before Sally could say more. Putting the phone down she turned back to Relena.

"Sally, is everything okay?" Worry laced in Relena's voice.

Sally put on a small smile, or at least the best one she could muster. "Serena collapsed. Heero and Trowa are bring her back here."

Relena's eyes grew wide as she gasped. "What happened? Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know… I won't know till they get her back here." Sally looked down at her desk. _I hope everything okay. We haven't heard from her in three days and now this?_

* * *

True to Heero's word, they were at HQ in fifteen minutes. Heero knew he was risking his job by bringing Serena. Une had made it clear she didn't want Serena back here unless she was under arrest, but something told him that he needed to get her help and fast. She wasn't acting like her normal self and from what Trowa had described she didn't look like herself either.

They ran as fast as they could, Trowa carrying Serena in his arms. Pushing through the entrance door they made their way to the the stairs that would take them down to the second floor. When they reached the door, Heero threw it open stepping out of the way to let Trowa by. They saw Sally waiting by a room, Relena standing next her to with her hands claps to her chest.

"In here!" Sally yelled to them.

Heero and Trowa made their way down the hallway and into the room Sally had directed them to. Once inside Sally had Trowa put Serena down on the bed. She quickly got to work checking her vitals. Relena came to stand next to Heero who was watching over Sally as she worked.

"Heero?" Relena asked, taking his hand into hers. Heero turned his head to look at her. "Heero, what happened?" She asked him, looking up into his eyes.

"I don't know." He said as he turned his head back to watch Sally. Trowa was hovering close by, his eyes never leaving Serena's face.

After two hours Sally finally had something. The only problem was… nothing was wrong with Serena. She ran scans in real time, but nothing showed up on them. Her brain was working properly, her vitals were slightly elevated but not enough to really worry about. Heero, Relena, and Trowa had stayed in the room while she ran the tests, waiting to hear from her about her findings.

After getting Serena settled into the bed, Sally turned to address everyone. Trowa was standing opposite her, still watching Serena. Heero and Relena had moved to the foot of the bed, staring down at Serena's unconscious form.

"Well, I can tell you what's not wrong with her." Sally started.

Heero and Relena turned their eyes to Sally. Both had a questioning look. But it was Trowa who spoke first. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, Sally looked at each of them. "There's nothing wrong with her. Every test came back normal. Unless her blood work shoes anything, there's nothing wrong."

Trowa's head shot up, "Then why would she collapses?" Anger lacing his voice.

Sally was about to answer him, when something caught her attention. Looking down she saw Serena stirr. Trowa looked down quickly watching her face closely. Her lashes fluttered slightly, before her eyes snapped opened.

Serena didn't know what had woken her up, but she felt like she was drowning. She opened her eyes fully as she flung herself straight up into a sitting position. She grabbed her chest as she tried to take in air. She didn't know where she was, or what was going on.

When Heero saw Serena sit up, he heard Relena gasp as he pushed her behind him. He wasn't sure if Serena would try anything but after looking at her, he wasn't sure she was capable of doing anything. Something was wrong, her eyes were wide and she struggling to breath.

Trowa immediately grabbed a hold of her shoulders turning her to face him. "Serena." Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, but he saw that her eyes were normal, those deep blue eyes stared back at him.

"T-Trowa?" Her voice was cracking as she struggled to speak.

"I'm here. I'm right here." His voice soft as he tried to calm her. Then he felt her body start to tremble as her hands flew to hold her head.

"What's wrong?" This time it was Heero's voice. Serena looked up to see Heero and Relena looking at her. Relena's eyes held fear and Heero's were a mixture of fear and worry. "Sally!" Heero tore his eyes away from her as he looked to Sally who was standing off to her left.

"Serena you need to calm down." Sally's voice sounded next to her. "You need to calm down or you're going to send yourself into shock. Breath, sweetheart, breath."

Serena could feel herself shaking. _Breath? I feel like I'm suffocating, what's wrong with me!?_ She gripped her head tighter as the pain got worse. Intensifying as memories flooded her brain. She heard a scream coming from somewhere in the room. But she wasn't sure if it was her own or someone else's before a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her. Pulling her closer to a hard body.

Trowa held onto Serena as her body continued to tremble. He looked up to Sally, his eyes pleading. "Do something!?"

Serena was shaking so badly, that when Trowa tried to hold her tighter, another scream tore through her as she tightened her own hold on her head. Trowa looked down at her as fear gripped his chest. It was too much to bare, she was in pain.

Sally stood still. Normally when something like this happens people tend to fall unconscious again, but Serena was doing anything but. Another scream sounded and she watched Serena shudder in Trowa's arms, still holding her head.

"Sally, do something!" She turned her head to see Heero holding Relena who had tears running down her face before turning her head into Heero's chest as Serena screamed again. Heero's own eyes wide as he looked at her. For the first time Sally saw pure fear in his eyes. "Sally! You have to do something!" He yelled at her.

It was like everything was moving in slow motion. Sally turned back to look at Serena and Trowa. Trowa had tightened his grip on her as she shook, her cries from the pain ringing in her ears. Sally didn't know what to do, she didn't know what was wrong. She knew Serena was in pain but the shock of it all had her rooted in fear herself. Then Serena stopped. The shaking stopped, her screams stopped. Sally watched as her breathing was heavy as she still struggled to breath normal.

Serena tried to understand what had just happened. Her head was killing her, while her mind was racing. She knew something wasn't right, but she couldn't figure it out. She felt the arms around her loosen. Slowly she looked up to see Heero and Relena. Relena's face was pale with tears still running down her cheeks. Heero's face was full of fear as he looked at her, then slowly she turned her head.

 _Trowa_. His arms were around her as she looked up into his green eyes. All of her memories of him flooding her again. Her mind working overtime to piece everything together. As the world started going dark around her she said the only thing she thought could help her. To _save her_.

"The..." Serena fell against Trowa as the darkness completely engulfing her before she could get the words out.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy it's still Monday? Probably more like Happy Tuesday._

 _For the fact that my Monday really was, well shitty, I managed to get TWO chapters out. Woot woot! To be honest, this makes me feel a little better. Now if I could work this hard every day/really at night when I have the time, I can be rolling chapters out left and right! While I can't promise a back to back chapter update in the future enjoy this one for now :D, because I am!_

 _So any guesses at to what's going on with Serena? This is your last chance I can tell you that! Secrets will be revealed... many... hehe. So get those guesses in while you still can! Do you think Heero will find out about Trowa and Serena? Or will he still be blind to all of that? I'm going with the latter on this one. Yeah I know, Heero's smarter than this but don't forget he's got a lot of stuff going on in that head of his. I doubt he's really looking into whether or not Serena and Trowa are sleeping together. But who knows?_

 _Warning, because I feel I must say this. The next few chapters might get a little dark, how dark I'm still debating on. This story is M for a reason but I've also tried to keep it within a respectful M... for the most part. I'm just saying this now so it's not such a shook when that chapter does get posted... which will be soon. But for now, enjoy and happy double chapter update!_

 _-MM_


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty-Three**

 **Secrets Revealed**

It was after midnight when Heero dropped Relena off at their townhouse. She had begged him to stay. Whether it was because she needed him or because she was worried about him, he wasn't sure. Everything was going to shit around him and he knew that it was his own fault.

He had pleaded with Relena to understand that he couldn't, that he needed to be alone. He felt guilty leaving her, but he felt even worse for what had happened to Serena.

Heero sat in his small apartment on his old couch staring at a bottle of amber liquid. Rarely did he ever drink, but he had always kept something in his apartment. Most of his things were still there. He had only moved his clothes and computers, everything else was left for when Duo and Hilde would move in. He never saw the point in moving everything when Relena had everything they needed. And right now he was grateful the apartment still had a few things left in it.

When he came in he didn't bother grabbing a glass, he had walked into the kitchen pulling the bottle down from one of the cabinets. Opening it he took a long sip before walking over to the couch. Heero had taken a few more sips since then. Each one burning his throat on the way down. He had been staring at the bottle for some time now, willing it to give him the answers he needed so badly. The apartment was dark but the moonlight from outside shined through the windows, illuminating the room. Casting shadows on the walls.

Heero glared at the bottle before snatching it up, taking a long drink from it. Setting it back down he ran his hands through his hair. He knew he had only one choice and it was to contact someone. Someone he wished he'd never have to deal with again, let alone ask them for help. Decision made, he sat back looking out the window. There would be no turning back, but he knew he owed it to Serena.

* * *

Heero made his way through the Medical Facility. He had one goal in mind as he opened the door to Serena's room. He found Trowa sitting in a chair next to her bed, but his head was laying on his arm. As Heero came around the other side of the bed, he saw that Trowa was not only asleep but holding onto Serena's hand.

Heero tried to suppress a growl as he started shutting off the machines around her. The sight that had greeted him wasn't one he wanted to see in that moment. He had enough to think about and this wasn't one he wanted to add to that list. Once he was done he moved to started unhooking the wires from her. As he was almost done when he heard the door to her room open. Looking up he saw Sally.

"What are you doing Heero?" Sally hissed at him as she came to stand opposite of him.

Heero turned his attention to the last few electrodes that were attached to Serena's chest. "I'm getting the help she needs."

"Heero, you can't just take her."

Heero shot his head up, a hard expression on his face. "She needs help and I'm taking her to get that help." Heero turned his head away from Sally as he reached over to remove Trowa's hand from Serena's. When he did he noticed that Trowa wasn't responding to being moved. Heero turned his eyes up to Sally with a questioning look.

"I gave him a small dose of sedative. He needed to rest." Sally crossed her arms before lowering her head. "He'll be upset again when he wakes up but it was for his own good."

"Hn. It's probably better this way anyway." Heero said as he moved the blankets off Serena's body. He turned grabbing the bag he had placed on the floor, throwing it over his shoulder. Adjusting the strap before moving to lift Serena. Once she was cradled in his arms he looked up to Sally. "We should be back in a few days."

"Heero, where are you taking her?" Sally knew she couldn't stop him and part of her knew he was right. She couldn't help Serena, she could only keep her sedated and if she did that for too long there could be consequences for doing so.

"We'll be back in a few days. If anyone asks, you don't know anything. Especially with Une." Heero started to walk away before Sally stopped him.

"Wait." She said quietly. Reaching to the bed she grabbed the sheet off of it. With a little help from Heero she was able to wrap the blanket around Serena's body. Sally placed a hand on Serena's head before looking up into Heero's eyes. "Take care of her, okay?"

Heero nodded, watching as Sally lowered her hand by to her side. Turning on her heel, she made her way to the door, opening it for him. Heero gave her one last look before crossing the threshold into the hallway. Walking down the hallway he never looked back. Even as he stepped onto the elevator, holding Serena tightly against himself.

* * *

Heero had managed to make it through the Spaceport without incident. He had already called ahead and since he was a Preventer he was able to obtain a private shuttle. It was one of the many perks to his job and one he was grateful for. Once he had gotten Serena settled, he made quick work prepping the shuttle for launch. When he was given permission to take off he guided the shuttle down the runway, picking up speed as they approached the ninety degree angle. Daylight was starting to break through the night sky as they left the ramp heading towards space.

Once they had cleared Earth's atmosphere, Heero set the shuttle on auto pilot. He had already programmed the coordinates into the shuttles system before take off which would allow him to attend to Serena without worry. When he was satisfied with everything he moved out of the pilot's seat to check on her.

She was still lying prone where he had left her in the small room off of the cockpit. It was used as medical room with nothing more than a few items in it. A small cot lay against a wall, while a small cabinet with some supplies sat against another. The room itself only served as a private place for basic medical emergencies. There was a defibrillator and respiratory equipment available, but if anyone had any major health issues, the shuttle would lacked in aiding them.

Heero had brought a few supplies with him. He didn't know if the shuttle he had obtained would have what he needed so he decided not to risk it. He had taken a few bottles of various medications. A sedative just in case she woke up, along with some different pain killers if she did wake up and was in any kind of pain. He had also taken a stethoscope along with a blood pressure cuff. He had some medical training but not enough to help her if something serious were to happen, but he hoped that he had enough to keep her stable till they arrived at their destination.

* * *

When they landed, Heero managed to get them through the private Spaceport with ease. Planning ahead he had rented a car that would be waiting for him upon arrival. The workers had questioned him about Serena but he just told them she was sleeping and not to worry. Once outside he spotted the rented car. Moving swiftly he opened the back door laying Serena carefully in the back set. He tucked the blanket around her before shutting the door.

Their flight had gone smoothly. Her vitals hadn't changed during their trip and she had remained unconscious the entire time. But it did little to ease his mind. Heero tried to stay focused as he maneuvered them through the streets of the Colony. It didn't take long before they pulled up alongside a building. Turning off the engine, Heero turned his head to look in the back seat. Serena had a peaceful look to her face but he knew deep down she was still in pain. Taking a deep breath he prayed nothing was seriously wrong and that soon enough she'd be awake and herself again.

Once he had gotten Serena out of the car, Heero made his way through a dimly lit hallway inside the abandoned building. Serena was cradled in his arms as he moved to stand in front of an elevator. Adjusting his hold on her, he was able to enter the code he was given to access the elevator. Once the code was entered he watched as the red light above the keypad turned green before the elevator doors opened. Stepping inside he turned hitting the floor number that'd bring him down to the lower levels of the building.

When the doors opened again, he stepped out into another hallway, but there was only one door at the very end. Taking a deep breath he adjusted Serena before the two of them made their way through the only door.

"So you've finally arrived."

Heero turned his eyes up to the person who had spoken. Long grey hair was tucked behind his ears as eyes made of lenses bore into Heero's own eyes. The long white lab coat did little to hide the leg braces that adored the his legs. A cane supported his weight as his prosthetic right arm lifted into the air.

"Lay her down on the table." Doctor J said as he pointed his claw hand in the direction of the exam table. Heero said nothing as he moved to place Serena down. Being as careful as he could.

Doctor J moved to stand over the prone girl, shaking his head he looked up to Heero. "So she collapsed huh?"

Heero said nothing as he stared at J. He didn't want to be here nor did he want Serena being here, but he knew this was the best place for her to be, especially in the condition she was in.

"Tell me again what happened?" J said as started connecting her to the various machines that were stationed around them.

"You know what happened." Heero said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

J stoped for a moment to regard the young man who was currently glaring at him. It had been quite some time since he had last seen him. "Refresh my memory boy."

Heero didn't speak right away as he watched J connect more wires to Serena's head. Closing his eyes for a moment he took in another breath before he began retelling J what had happened. By the time he was done they had moved to stand in front of one of the computers J had set up. J using his one good hand to type.

J nodded his head as he watched the reports come in on the screen. "I think I have an idea as to why this happened to Delta."

Heero recrossed his arms over his chest. "Her name is Serena." J's typing stopped as a small smile formed on his lip.

"So that's the name she chose." J turned his head to look at her before turning back to Heero. "Delta has many names but this is the first time I've ever allowed her to choose her own name. Do tell me, what did she pick to be her last name?"

Heero tighten his gaze. "Lowell." J chuckled light before turning back to the computer.

"Serena Lowell, ah it is a perfect name indeed my boy." J heard the growl from Heero.

"So what's the reason for her collapsing?"

"It's probably the chip, most likely malfunctioned." J said as he continued to watch the readings on his screen.

"Chip!? What chip!?" Heero's voice rose.

J glanced at him before turning back to his computer. "The "chip" is highly refined Gundanium alloy. It's programmed to help the user perform better at whatever task they need to do. Though Delta…"

"Serena, her name is Serena." Heero growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"Serena yes, my apologies. Though Serena doesn't necessarily need the added boost of the chip, there are some small benefits to it. In her case it can help with cell regeneration, along with a slightly faster response time. Though she's penalty fast on her own." J chuckled again. "She is based on you after all."

Heero tried to not let J's sick version of humor get to him. "What are the side effects?" J stopped typing to face Heero, giving him his full attention.

"When the chip is activated it reroutes her thoughts and feelings. Essentially causing her to become her true self. Or the version they want her to be. She will have no emotional attachment to anything or memories of past experiences."

"They?" Heero cut in.

J held up his claw hand. "Let me finish. When I was first approached by one of the leaders of ROE, they asked that I design a way to make her unstoppable but also a way for her to be more obedient. To follow orders to a T."

Heero's mind races as previous conversations flowed through his head. His stomach twisted as he started to realize Serena had been trying to tell him all along. Everything she had said was true. They did control her.

"They felt it was unnecessary for her to have any emotions along with any memories she had prior to being with them. Like Dekim, they wanted her retrained to suit their needs. When the chip is activated, she becomes the person they modeled her to be. While she is able to express herself using her body and facial features she has no real emotional feelings when doing so. Over all the chip is a more refined version of the ZERO system."

Heero was about to ask J something when the computer started deeping. Heero watched as J turned back to look at it.

"Ah, as I thought. She burnt the chip out." J reached his good hand up to stroke his long bread. "I wonder how that happened? And how they were able to active it in the first place?"

"What?" Heero took a step closer inspecting the computer screen. A series of codes he didn't fully understand running along the screen.

"Someone must have activated it. You said she was approached by someone?" J turned his head to look at Heero.

"Yeah, she killed the guy."

J chuckled again, receiving another glare from Heero. "They must of activated it then. But she somehow fought the effects before it completely took over her. Smart girl."

Heero's glared deepened as he looked at J. "Can you remove it?"

"Yes, it's a simple procured. Besides there's no point in keeping it in her, it's useless now."

"What will happen to her once it's removed?" Heero wanted the damn thing out of her, but he needed to cover his bases first before asking J to do it.

"To be honest, I don't know. It's been so long since I've seen her without it. She should be fine though. She may not remember what happened recently, but she should be able to make a full recovery as long as it hasn't done any permanent damage to her brain." J said.

"How long has it been implanted into her?" Heero's jaw clenching tighter.

"For far too long my boy." J turned back to look at the computer. "If you give me some time, I can check to make sure there's no permanent damage was done. If all is well, I'll remove it."

"If anything is wrong with her, I'll personally kill you myself, J." Heero growled. The only reason they were in this underground lab was because of him.

"Calm down, Heero. Take a look here." J pointed his claw hand at the screen. "Her brain activity is normal. That's a good sign. Just let me run a few more test just to make sure, then we'll get her ready to remove the chip."

* * *

Trowa woke up confused, he hadn't opened his eyes but he knew he wasn't home. The bed he was laying on felt different, not as comfortable as the one he was used to. Slowly the events of the previous day crept back into his mind. Snapping his eye open, he looked around the room. He was in one of the rooms in the medical facility at HQ. But he couldn't remember going to one to sleep. The last thing he remembered was holding Serena's hand before sleep had overtaken him. Sitting up he continued to look around. His clothes were still on but there were machines positioned all around him. Checking himself he noticed he wasn't connected to any of them and upon further investigation, none of the machines were on.

Panic started to rise in his chest as he realized he had no memory of what had happened. Pushing back the sheet more, Trowa swung his legs to the side of the bed. His boots left by the chair that was set up next to the bed. The same chair he had been in the night before. Then it hit him. He was in Serena's room and he was lying where she had been hours before. He was about to get off the bed when the door opened.

"Oh you're awake." Sally said as she walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"What's going on? Where's Serena!?" Trowa hardened his eyes, he knew the fear he was feeling was showing. Sally frowned before taking a seat next to him. She knew this conversation was coming and it probably wasn't going to end well.

"I gave you a sedative to help you sleep. You needed to rest."

"You drugged me? Then what, took Serena while I was out?"

Sally shook her head. She knew Trowa was going to be upset with her but if Heero hadn't taken Serena it might have been as bad. "No, I only did it so you would sleep. You looked like you hadn't for the last few days and I can understand why, but you needed to sleep."

"Doesn't give you the right to do it." Trowa turned his head away. He could forgive her but with Serena missing it only angered him more. What if something had happened and she wasn't telling him? "Where's Serena?"

"She'll be back in a few days." Sally placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't know any of this was going to happen and I was only trying to do the right thing… for both of you."

"Where did she go?" Trowa turned angry eyes to her. "It's not like she upped and walked out of here!"

"I can't tell you."

"Heero." Trowa growled out as he turned his head away. Heero had to be behind all of this. Beside for them and Relena, he was the only one else in the room that knew what had happened.

"Before you jump to conclusions just listen to me." Gaining his attention again, she could see the pain he was feeling written on his face. "Heero did take her, but he took her to get the help I couldn't provide her. We don't know what's wrong and her bloodwork came back. Everything was normal, or as normal for someone like her can be. He didn't tell me where he was going, only that they'd be back in a few days." Sally offered him a small smile. "She's in good hands, Heero won't let anything happen to her. He was pretty upset and when he left with her; to be honest, I think he was beating himself up over everything."

"Doesn't make me feel any better." Trowa admitted.

"I know, it also doesn't make me happy either. That and Heero left me to clean up this mess. Relena isn't happy he left. Duo's with her right now, but he's going to need help keeping her safe till Heero returns."

"I don't really feel up to working right now." Trowa turned his head away. Feeling defeated. He needed time to process everything.

"I don't blame you, but maybe you'll find some comfort being around Relena. She was here last night after all. She's working from home today from what Wufei told me. You don't have to go over there today, but tomorrow morning Wufei will need you to relieve him."

"Wufei's spending the night?" Trowa arched a brow.

"Yeah, he's not thrilled but I told him that you really needed to rest. If you can't be at your best, you're useless to Relena." Sally laughed.

"Thanks." Trowa murmured.

"Just go home, Barton. If you need anything just call." Sally said standing up. "If I hear anything you'll be the first to know." Sally frowned when Trowa wouldn't meet her eyes. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Trowa snapped his head up. He debated lying but he didn't think he could get away with it. Plus Sally knew something was going on between them. "Yeah, I do."

"She'll be okay, Trowa." Sally placed a hand back on his shoulder. "Have faith."

Trowa watched her leave the room before he stood up. Now what was he supposed to do? He could only guess at where Heero had taken Serena and that thought didn't ease his fears. What if something happened and he never saw her again? Trowa lowered his head, his bangs shielding his face as he stepped into his boots. Not bothering to lace them, he made his way out of the room.

His only regret was that he hadn't kissed her, and told her how much he loved her one last time.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Hump Day!_

 _Where do we even start? Heero? Serena? J!? To be honest, I've been so excited to REVEAL some of Serena's past. Secret...(s). I wanna know if ANY of you picked up on the hints I had left. Serena says something throughout the story but I don't know if anyone has picked up on that. She repeats it a lot. Also with an action she does from time to time. When she's stressed or angry and thinking about Edwards, she's done this one action a few times. *cough* she did it in the chapter 41. *cough* If I have done my job well enough, you'll hopefully have put those little pieces together and gone "OHHHHH That's why... yes that makes scene." If not, then send me a message and we'll work through it, together._

 _Alright, back to the topic at hand. Serena has this lovely little chip in her that does some interesting things. I mean if you were some leader of an organization that wanted to rule the world, a girl with a chip that you can control is pretty smart right? Seems like a good idea till it overheats, nearly probably killing the person. Luckily Serena isn't normal so it didn't. That's a good thing and also good for this story. Without Serena, we cannot finish it. Hahaha ROE can't complete their mission and we can't complete this story without her._

 _Heero, poor Heero. I think I really like to F with him a lot. But all for good reason. I think with everything that has just happened, that he has witnessed first hand, I believe we're going to see a very big change in him. He has gone from hating Serena, to some what liking her to worrying about her and everything inbetween. I think this will open up his eyes even more than they already have been. He's gone as far as to call J to get Serena help. If he didn't care, I don't think Heero would go to these great lengths to save her life._

 _As far as J... you'll have to wait till the next chapter. I think you might be surprised._

 _-MM_


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty-Four**

 **The Truth**

Heero had been watching J carefully as he ran his test. Serena hadn't woken up and from the looks of it, she wasn't going to any time soon. When J declared that there wasn't any serious damage done he had asked Heero to help prepare Serena so he could remove the microchip from her. After they had gathered everything J needed, he had Heero move Serena so he could have better access to her neck.

Being as careful as he could, Heero rolled Serena onto her stomach. Keeping the blanket he had placed over her wrapped around her lower body. He adjusted the ties to the hospital gown she had on, making sure they were secure. Turning her head, he placed a towel underneath her, hoping it would help keep her comfortable. Even though she was still unconscious. Serena looked peaceful, but Heero couldn't help but think that she was still suffering. Correction, she _had_ been suffering for far too long, and hopefully this would mark the end of that for her.

When J was ready, he pulled Serena's hair back, exposing her neck. At the very base of her neck, Heero watched as J felt around trying to locate exactly where the chip was. Once J located it, he picked up a scalpel before inserting it into her neck. Slowly making a small incision before putting the scalpel back down to pick up a pair of tweezers. He had asked Heero to wipe away any blood for him while he worked. When Heero had whipped enough away J moved the tweezers inside the small incision and within a few moments J pulled out a small piece of metal held between the tweezers.

"Heero, the tray please?" J asked. Heero lifted a small tray as J dropped the metal object onto it. "Could you bring it back over to my work station?" Heero nodded his head before making his way over to the desk J had set up along one of the walls. Placing the tray down, he made his way back. When he returned to Serena's side, J was cleaning up some more blood before grabbing a medical needle. Carefully J closed the incision. "In about a week the stitches can be removed." J said as he placed a bandage over the stitches. As he started to clean up the bloodied gauze and tools, he instructed Heero to roll Serena onto her back. Reminding him to be careful of her neck as to not damage the stitches and causing the incision to reopen.

When J returned from cleaning his hand and disposing of the gauze and tools, he looked at Heero as he stared down at Serena. A frown line creasing his brow. "She's going to have to stay here until she wakes up. I'll need to run a few more tests before she'll be able to leave." J said.

Heero eyed him carefully. He wasn't sure if he should be trusting J with Serena's health, but then again that was the main reason he had brought her here in the first place. J was the only one who could've helped her. "I'm staying with her." Heero said gruffy.

J placed his claw hand in his labcoat pocket, nodding his head. "I have some extra bedding around here. Best to get her more comfortable, she probably won't be waking up anytime soon.

Heero nodded his head before moving away from Serena. At least J wasn't kicking him out, though Heero doubted J would anyway. He wasn't that foolish of an old man to try and stop someone younger and stronger than himself.

* * *

It had been two days since J had removed the microchip from Serena. Heero had learned that the chip itself was undetectable to scanners and any kind of medical equipment, which was why Sally never saw it when she had done a CT scan of Serena's head and neck. It was seamlessly flawless in design and performance. It was essentially able to override a person, creating a second personality. One that could be modeled to whatever the user wanted, or in Serena's case, whatever the programmer wanted. J had programmed the chip to the specifications requested of him. All memories and emotions were eliminated and new ones added, or rather lack thereof. Serena had no real emotions, only what was programed. She could smile, laugh, frown and even show anger, but she didn't react to any of them. It was only a physical actions. Any memories she had prior were gone, instead replaced by an alternative reality that she lived in while being under control of the chip. Everything J had told him had been the truth. Or at least Heero wanted to believe that.

Heero had spent most of the first day reading everything he could about the chip. J had offered him all the information up front, telling him, " _If you want to understand her better, this may be of some use to you."_ Heero had dived in head first into everything after that. In some ways he mainly wanted to understand this microchip and what it was used for but most of all, he wanted to know _who_ Serena was.

Heero had stationed himself next to her and hadn't left her side for more than a few minutes at a time. He had found two cots and some blankets and went about setting them up next to each other so if she were to awake, he'd be right there for her when she did. J had come and gone bringing food and checking on Serena before heading back to wherever he was staying. Heero never bothered to ask. It didn't make a difference to him. Relena had tried to contact him a few times but he only told her he was fine and he'd be back soon. Heero knew she was worried and that she knew he was gone along with Serena, but he also knew she was safe and in good hands so he was able to focus all his attention on Serena.

When J had brought the files on Serena, he had warned Heero to view them at his own discretion. Heero had found it odd but hadn't questioned J. The microchip J had willingly turned over but when Heero had asked about Serena's personal files and logs from her training, J had been more apprehensive about it. It wasn't until J returned hours later to check on Serena that he had handed over the files. Heero started viewing them the minute J had left them alone.

* * *

 _Heero inserted the data stick into his laptop, locating the folder he opened it before finding a series of codes. A frown grew on his face as he looked at them. The encryptions were terrible at best, as if J didn't care that anyone could easily decode them and gain access to the information. With quick work Heero was able to unlock the folder before selection the first file in the folder itself. It was a picture of Serena and it looked to be a more recent one of her. Under the photo was basic information about her. Height, weight, hair and eye color. Nothing he didn't know already. Skimming through the first page he continued on to the next page. It was dated August 23, A.C. 197. Another picture of Serena, but this time it was a much younger version of her._

"Subject code name: Delta. Age, 16. All initial tests concluded positive results. Subject has aged appropriately; physical and mentally. No side effects present at this time." _Heero stopped reading. Looking back at the date, it was the same date that was on data they had collected. Narrowing his eyes he knew that's when Serena figured out that J had set them up. How many people knew that date and what it meant? Filing it away for later he continued to read. It wasn't just about figuring out why J had set them up or what all dates and locations meant, this was about finding out_ who _Serena was._

 _There were more dates along with tests and training logs. Everything seemed normal, or as normal as he had expected. Almost everything had reflected the same tests and training he had under gone. Other than the fact that J had noted that her DNA was highly manipulated. It made sense as to why she looked so much like him, but different. J had spent a great deal of time working on traits and characteristics. But why would he have spent so much time on this? J could've easily created another version of himself, but he had chosen a female version with traits from both his parents DNA. The side by side comparison of his DNA and hers was such a strong make up that they could pass as siblings. Was that the goal J had in mind when creating Serena? Shaking his head, Heero pushed the questions aside, he focused on the information in front of him. Page after page he continued to read. Serena had trained hard, even harder than he had at times, but it wasn't until he reached A.C. 198 that everything changed._

 _J didn't state when, but at some point they had started working with ROE that year. What was odd was That J had completely stopped using dates and most of his notes were vague at best._ "A.C. 198. They're unhappy with Delta. They feel she isn't measuring up to their standards. Her resistances to comply with orders may be her downfall." _Heero noticed there were also no longer any pictures of her. There had been updated pictures of Serena throughout the first year, but if it was A.C. 198, she would have been seventeen by then._

"Delta has pushed the limit. They are asking for her to be retrained under their new guidelines. She fought against the ZERO system, which only angered Edwards more. Her defiance has only grown and I fear I may no longer be able to protect her. The decision to have full control of her was not one I took lightly. But at this point there was nothing else I could do. My hands were tied. I only hope one day she'll understand."

 _Heero stopped reading again. J had felt guilty over it? But why? Reading back a few pages, he saw no mention of anything to indicate that J had any remorse for anything he had ever done to her. So why then? What was so special about this incident that made him second guess, but ultimately agree to creating the chip? What Heero also found interesting was the notes J had been keeping were his own_ personal _notes about Serena. Not like his normal logs. He had gone as far as to state how she was feeling at one point or another. But not all of his notes were like this. There was still training logs, mainly focusing on the ZERO system. There were the still the occasional, "_ Delta's attitude has changed again. She refuses to speak with me and has spent most of her time in her room since that day. I fear that she truly has lost herself. Her tears don't seem to be affecting her, but they have been flowing freely. My only consolation is that she is in shock, but without her allowing me to get close to her, I cannot treat her properly."

 _Heero stopped again. He was confused by the information and slowly as he thought about, a sickening feeling started to grow. She had told him that she had fought back, but only to have the punishments become worse than they already were. But what were punishments? He clicked on the new page and he wished he never had. It was a picture of Serena, bloody and beaten. She looked so young as she lay prone on the floor of where ever she was. He moved on to the next picture. He wasn't sure if it was right. More of the same pictures followed. Some worse than others. Some she was laying on a medical table strapped down. Her eyes were closed but he had a feeling something had happened to her before then. Or something was going to happen. Gritting his teeth he continued. He needed to know, this was his only chance to understand._

 _The photos only got worse. Her clothes were ripped and blood stained her legs. Bruises were clear as day on her arms and around her neck. He briefly wondered if all of this had happened in the same day. As he went on a video file appeared. He wasn't sure if he should dare press play. Based on the pictures he wasn't sure he wanted to know._

 _Taking a deep breath he hit the button. It was of Serena standing in a room. She was pacing. Her head was hung as she'd walk to one end of the room before turning around and walking to the other end. Her clothes weren't ripped and from what he could tell she wasn't hurt. It wasn't long before the door opened and four men stepped in. One being J._

 _Serena had stopped pacing. Swinging her head up. One of the men who was dressed in a General's uniform took a step towards her. The other two men who had entered moved to either side of the room._ "Delta I'm disappointed in you." _Heero watched as Serena took a step back._ "I will not allow this to continue. If you cannot behave then you leave me no choice." _He nodded to the two other men in the room who quickly moved to grab Serena's arms. Heero watched as Serena pushed the men away before they came after her again._

"Delta! You're only going to make this worse on yourself." _J voice rang out. Heero watched as Serena stopped fighting, allowing the two men to grab her, pinning her against the wall. The man whose name he didn't know moved in front of Serena before pulling out a syringe. He swiftly pushed it into her neck as she cried out._

 _The two men who had been holding her moved away as the man in front of her grabbed her neck._ "I'm done playing games with you. You _will_ obey my every command."

 _Serena turned her dark eyes to him._ "No. I won't." _Heero cringed when he not only saw but heard the smack against her face. Heero's blood ran cold as he felt the vile in his stomach rise into his throat._

 _The man ripped the front of her shirt._ "Yes you will." _His voice taunting as he moved his hand to Serena chest. Heero realized Serena wasn't fighting back, because she couldn't. The man had drugged her with some kind of muscle relaxer. Heero watched in horror as she moved to try and stop the man. But her strength was leaving her. Her cries were going unnoticed by those in the room. J was removed by the two other men who had come into the room with them when he had moved to try and stop whoever this man was._

 _It wasn't until the man ripped her shorts and the worst of her cries sounded. Her scream reverberating through the room. Then he saw the blood running down her leg. In that moment he knew her innocence had been taken. Stolen from her. He closed his eyes trying to rid himself of the images he had seen. She had been abused to a degree he couldn't imagine. He was never treated in such a way but here this man thought it was acceptable to hurt someone. To hurt_ her _. He opened his eyes when he heard the man speak._

"Maybe from now on you'll be more willing to corporate. I expect complete and utter obedience from you. I will not tolerate these games of yours and if you choose to _continue,_ then I have no choice but to keep you permanently under the control of that chip."

 _More bile rose in his throat when he watched her body falling down the wall. Her arms trying to cover her body as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. The man adjusted himself before turning and leaving the room. Not once did he look up. The camera never getting a clear picture of his face. How could someone do this to her? How could J_ let _it even go that far? How long had it been going on?_

"I stopped fighting back. It wasn't worth it anymore." _Serena's words rang through his head. She had given up and accepted the punishments._

 _Each video that played from there on was worse than the last. She had seemed unfazed by it. Each time she was abused, she fought back less and less. It wasn't only unhealthy that she had accepted it the fate, but moreso was the fact that at one point she would just do things without a second thought. There was no volume and the videos were shorter. Until the last one. It was of her and J. She was sitting on the cot that he had come to learn was her bed. Her head was bowed as her and J spoke._

" _Delta this has gone too far."_

" _Yeah? You think so? I've quite enjoyed myself here."_

" _Delta… you're turning into what_ he _wants."_

 _She lifted her head finally. The look in her eyes made Heero cringe. "Isn't that what you wanted? What he wanted?"_

" _Delta…"_

" _I'm everything and more. Aren't you happy with that?"_

" _This needs to end. I will not allow my…"_

 _She stood up abruptly. "Your what? Your project? I've done everything you've ever asked of me. Complied to every demand. And this is how you treat me?" Her voice rising as she took a step closer to him. "You let him do this to me. Let him have his way. For what? Money to fund your next project? Am I not good enough!? I am not the perfect copy of Beta? The one you wanted so badly!?"_

" _You have exceeded my expectations. But what you've become is everything I tried to keep you away from."_

 _She laughed bitterly at him. "I'm everything you wanted. You're just lying to yourself, just to make yourself feel better. You hate the fact that when the program is turned on I become everything you strived Beta to be. When it's not on you realize I'm nothing more than the person you first started with. And you can't stand it."_

" _I shouldn't have let it go this far."_

" _You think? Because of you, I am who I am. Killing doesn't affect me. Those two guards I killed, you remember them. I felt_ nothing _. I still feel_ nothing _. You made me this way. And yet you're unhappy?"_

" _You've lost your humanity."_

" _No I haven't."_

" _Yes you have, Delta. You feel nothing. When was the last time you sang? I haven't heard your voice in years. The one small thing you held onto and now that's gone. Edwards has taken everything from you."_

" _That's because that's all I have left. I will not allow him to take that from me. No matter how many times he begs. No matter how many times he hits me. I will never allow him to take my voice away. You think I've lost myself when I haven't. I will kill him. I will burn this whole place down. Including myself."_

" _Delta you need to make a decision. I will help you, but I will not allow you to die in vain. I have trained you better than that."_

" _I've already made up my mind."_

" _I gave you three choices. To stay and go through with their plans, without my interference? To stay and help me take them down, even at the risk of our own lives? Or do you wish for your freedom? I can send you to Earth where you can hide. From there we'll figure out a plan."_

 _Serena's eyes hardened as she lifted her chin. "I want my freedom. From you and from_ him _. Whatever it takes, whatever costs, I want to be free.."_

* * *

Heero had been seething since. He couldn't believe J had allowed such things to happen to Serena. And most of them being his own doing. He had refused to speak with J after the fight they had. He had even contemplated letting J continue to treat Serena, but in the end he knew that he couldn't do it himself and that J was the best one qualified to do so. Heero had been watching Serena for some time now. Trying to understand how someone who had been through so much was still willing to fight and continue on. But then again J and everyone else was right. They were a lot a like. But what was Serena's driving force that kept her going? Heero frowned when he remembered their first conversation. She wanted to belong somewhere, to be free. To be free from the living hell of what was so called her life. That he could understand and he didn't blame her for whatever thoughts she had. But at the same time, she was strong, stronger than him in her will to live. She was defiant and rarely did she fully let them control her. When she was herself at least. Was it how J had trained her? Or was it because she was stubborn and there was no real reason to her logic?

There was also the question of why Serena had stayed as long as she had. With everything she had gone through why hadn't she left sooner? Heero wasn't sure how he could question her on the matter. She had never out right told him any of this, but maybe one day she would.

Heero vowed from that moment on that he would do everything in his power to protect her. No one should have to go through what either of them had, but no one should ever have to endure what _she_ had gone through. He owed it to her, even if he couldn't change what had happened to her in the past, he could at least help to make a better future for herself. Glancing over to Serena he saw her brows knit together. He held his breath. Was she finally waking up?

* * *

 _A/N_

 _I spent a great deal of time debating whether or not to post the chapter how it is, or change it. That is why it took so long to post it. I wasn't sure if pushing the limit was a good idea. I'm all for it, but with this I struggled with deciding. I may go back later and add or change things around but I hope for now you all have gotten a better idea about Serena._ _I also do not condone the actions taken in this chapter, but it was essential for my OC's character development. I will be going over this more in the next chapter as I feel it's an important conversation that should be had between Heero and Serena._

 _On a lighter note, I think it's very sweet Heero has vowed to protect Serena. Though I don't know how much protecting he can offer since they're pretty much one in the same._

 _-MM_


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty-Five**

Return to Earth

When Serena first opened her eyes, she wasn't sure where she was. Nothing looked familiar. Scanning the room her eyes landed on two midnight blue eyes. Heero was leaning over looking at her. Concern written on his face, but Serena was able to see the flash of relief that passed through his eyes. She tried to sit up to only have him gently ease her back down.

"Don't move, just lay still." Heero's voice was soft as he spoke.

"Where are we?" Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to speak. Heero took ahold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"We're on L1."

"What? I can't be here!" Serena's eyes grew wide.

"Serena, you collapsed." Heero said, softening his eyes. He wanted, needed her to stay calm.

"I what?" She looked at him questionably.

"Serena what's the last thing you remember?" Heero watched as she turned her head breaking their eye contact. Closing her eyes, she tried to think back to the last memory she had. Slowly she opened her eyes before turning back to him.

"The bar. We had an argument that night. Then bits and pieces of Sunday."

Heero knitted his brow together. She had no memory of what had happened. But J had warned him this was a possibility. "Why didn't you tell me about the chip?" Heero watched as she turned her head away from him looking up at the ceiling. "Serena, you should've told me. You could've died because the chip overheated and malfunctioned."

Serena swung her eyes back to him. "What happened?" She didn't care if she died or not, but she needed to know what had transpired. Even though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. If the chip was damaged, her memories of what had occurred were lost. She relied on the microchip to piece together the blackouts she would experience from the program itself. It was the one aspect J had felt strongly about. Being able to record and play back what she had done.

"On Monday you dropped Catherine off at the spaceport. You said someone had confronted you while you were trying to leave. J believes whoever it was activated the chip." Serena's frown deepened as he continued. "You disappeared and didn't show up till three days later. I found you leaving Trowa's apartment right before you collapsed."

Serena's eye went wide as panic started to rise in her chest. "Trowa!? Is he okay? I didn't hurt him did I!?" Oh god, what if I?

"He's okay, you didn't hurt him." Heero tightened his grip on her hand trying to reassure her. "I think that's when the chip started to malfunction." Even with Heero's words, it did little to reassure her that she hadn't done anything.

"Yes I believe that's when it happened." J said as he made his way towards them. Heero and Serena turning their heads to face him. "Well isn't this a sight to see." J grinned as he looked at his two masterpieces. One original and one cloned. He received not one but two glares from two sets of Prussian blue eyes. "It is truly remarkable how similar you both are, but that's not why I'm here. Serena, it's good to see that you're finally awake. How are you feeling my dear?"

Serena narrowed her eyes. He's never called me anything but Delta. "What do you want J?"

J smirked as he adjusted his cane. "I need to run a few tests to make sure there's no permanent damage done and that your brain is working properly. Once I'm done you're both free to leave."

Serena turned to look at Heero. He gave her hand another squeeze before nodding his head. "How long will it take?" Serena asked, turning back to J.

"Shouldn't be more than a few hours." J said pulling his lips into a smile.

* * *

Four hours later, J was pleased with his findings. Serena's brain scans along with his monitoring of her brain wave activity showed conclusively that there was no major damage done. She had minor amnesia but that was to be expected. Since the chip was so badly damaged, he was unable to retrieve any memories that were stored on it. Thus he was unable to fill in the missing time she had lost. Her body was weakened from the trauma, but it wasn't anything permanent.

Once J had declared that she was fine and was able to leave, he bought over some of her old clothes to change into. Along with a pair of shoes. Serena didn't ask why he still had any of these, but was grateful she didn't have to leave wearing the hospital gown she had most likely came there in.

Heero assisted her up into a sitting position from the exam table before moving to hold up a sheet so she could change in private. It soon became clear that dressing herself was going to be a challenge. She felt her energy leaving her quickly with every move she made.

"Heero?"

"Hm?"

"I need help…" Biting her lip, she felt ridiculous. She was more embarrassed by the fact that she needed to ask Heero to help her.

Heero's eyes grew wide before he slowly lowered the sheet. Stopping as he when he saw the top of her head. "What do you need help with?"

"I can't… I can't get my shirt on..." Serena turned her head to look at him, but the sheet hadn't moved. "I have pants and a bra on… I just can't get my shirt on…"

Heero slowly lowered the sheet the rest of the way. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to do, but after looking into her eyes, he could see just how exhausted she was. Her shoulders were slouched as she held onto the black t-shirt. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. Laying the sheet down on the table, Heero made his way around to the other side.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, taking the shirt from her hands.

"Like shit." She tried to smirk at him.

Pulling the shirt over her head, Heero helped her get her arms into the sleeves. After he grabbed her shoes, putting them on her. Standing back up he looked into her eyes again. A frown forming on his face. "Just stay here, let me grab my things then we'll leave." When he saw her nod her head he moved away, heading back over to where their cots had been set up.

Once he was done packing the bag he had brought, Heero turned around to see J speaking quietly with Serena. He felt something build inside of him. He didn't like the fact J was speaking to her, especially without him being there. As he made his way back over, his presence seemed to end whatever conversation they were having.

"Ready to go?" He asked, looking at Serena.

"Yeah." Serena kept her eyes trained on the floor.

Heero glanced at J for a moment before moving to help Serena down. He had her drape an arm around his shoulders as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Turning to J, he muttered a thanks before the two headed towards the door that would lead them out into the hallway and away from J. Once out of the lab Heero stopped them just short of the elevator.

"What did he say to you?"

Serena turned her head up to him, a small smile on her face. "Just that I'm gonna feel this way for a few days and to rest." Heero nodded his head, dropping the subject. The two of them made their way into the elevator and for once, Serena was grateful not just for Heero, but grateful to finally be leaving.

* * *

The ride to the spaceport had gone uneventful. Neither Serena or himself spoke. A few times Heero had glanced over to make sure that she was still awake. Each time Serena had her head leaning against the window, staring out into the Colony. It was still daylight, but by the time they'd arrive back on Earth, it would late evening. Heero was hoping she'd make it long enough to board the shuttle. Then she could rest for the duration of their flight. Worse case, he could just carry her back to his car that he had left three days ago, then drive them both back to his and Relena's townhouse. At least he'd be able to watch over both of them if they were all in the same place.

Relena could work from home and since he was technically her twenty-four hour body guard, he could work from home as well, while also taking care of Serena as her body healed. Heero made a mental note to have Sally do a full workup on Serena once they returned. He trusted J enough that if Serena wasn't well enough to leave, he wouldn't have left them go in the first place. But he didn't have much of a choice but to trust him till they could leave.

Heero was able to get them through the spaceport without too much trouble. It was slightly easier with Serena being awake, but it didn't stop them from receiving a few looks. Mostly from the staff and from onlookers who were traveling in and out of the Colony. Heero had pushed their looks aside focusing on the task at had. Serena had tried to hide her face most of the time they were there. Either out of fear or because she was exhausted. He was able to acquire another private shuttle for them, even though they could've flown back on a civilian shuttle. But Heero didn't like the idea personally and he was pretty sure Serena wouldn't have been too keen on it either.

Once they boarded the shuttle, Heero wanted to get Serena as comfortable as possible before e set to work preparing the shuttle for take off, but she had refused. Instead she insisted that she join him in the cockpit. Heero didn't push her on the matter. It wasn't worth the argument and he figured that Serena didn't want to be alone.

He had planned to turn on the autopilot system once they were far enough passed L1. He wanted to be able to watch over her and make sure there were no complications during their flight home.

When Heero was able to get Serena settled into the copilot's seat, he began the preflight check. They hadn't really spoken since they left J's lab and Heero wasn't sure if she even wanted to.

"How are you feeling?" Heero asked while he finished up the preflight checklist.

"Fine."

Heero frown when he glanced at her. Her arms were wrapped around her chest while her head leaned against the headrest. "You should try and rest."

"I said I'm fine." Serena snapped her eyes to him for a moment before turning away. Heero said nothing more as he returned to the controls.

Finishing up the checklist, he entered the coordinates for Earth and wait. It wasn't long before they were given the green light to leave. Heero guided the shuttle through the shuttleport till they reach the end, propelling them into space.

The cabin has once again descended into silence. Heero had finally turned on the autopilot, but still kept his hands on the controls. He needed to at least pretend to be flying their shuttle. At least that's what he kept telling himself. He had been debating whether or not to broach the topic of what he had learned. Even though he wasn't sure about how to go about asking her if he did. Her training was easier to talk about, but what had been done to her was a whole different story.

"Serena?"

"Hm?" Serena angled her head towards him. He could still see the dark circles under her eyes. Maybe this wasn't the best time to speak with her, but when would they get the chance to?

Taking a deep breath Heero knew deep down he needed to ask her. "Who was the man in the video?"

"What video?" Serena arched a brow at him.

Heero realized that she didn't know he had seen her file, along with the videos and countless pictures. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts about asking her that he never mentioned it. "J gave me your file to view."

"He what!?"

"I asked him for it."

"Why would you do that!?" Serena sat herself up straighter, glaring at him. "You had no right to."

"I needed to know your background and why they wanted the chip created in the first place." It wasn't a complete lie.

"What video are you talking about?" Serena's voice was low.

Heero hands unconsciously gripped the controls tighter. He wanted to stay calm. To talk to her without a fight, but as the images flooded his mind, his anger grew. "Who was it that..." He couldn't get the words out. To say them meant acknowledging what he had really seen was true. Even though deep down he knew it was.

"Who?"

"The man who…" Heero closed his eyes, "the one who raped you. Who is he?" Slowly he opened his eyes. Her face had gone to stone. "Serena please, just tell me." He searched her eyes.

"Edwards."

"What?" Heero's eyes grew wide. Her face was masked. But she seemed calm and collected. Like it was nothing to her.

"How far did you get in my file?"

Heero could only stare at her. How could she be at ease about something like this? "Serena, this isn't…"

"You're ignoring my question." Serena cut him off as she tighten her eyes. "How far did you get in my file?" Heero hardened his own face.

"I saw everything. Every time he did anything to you, the aftermath. You can't brush this aside like it's nothing Serena."

"Why shouldn't I?" Serena narrowed her eyes more at him.

"No one has the right to do something like that to anyone." Heero's anger grew when Serena simply laughed at him. "This isn't funny!"

"I never said it was." Serena turned her head away from him, a dark shadow crossing over her face. "Go figure you'd be the one to find out."

"Serena…" Heero said in a love growl.

"What?" Serena leveled him with a glare.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this from the start?"

"Would you have believe me? Believed me if I came crying to you?" Serena countered back.

"You lied to me, you should've told me!" Heero knew he was letting his anger get the best of him, but she was so damn stubborn… just like he was. "You knew about the chip, along with how it worked. You never told me or anyone for that matter."

"What would you have done if I had told you? Hm? Would you have killed me right then and there. Eliminate the problem all together?"

Heero dropped his hands into his lap, balling his fists. "You would've become a bigger threat." He didn't know what he was saying. Would he have done something then if he had learned about what the microchip was and it did?

"That's all you ever see me as. I'm not a person to you." Serena deepened her glare at him. "I've tried to get you to see that but you never do. You act like you can trust me one minute then turn around and treat me like I'm nothing."

"That's not true…"

"Yes it is! From day one you've never seen me as anything other than what I am. Your clone and nothing more. I'm not just some clone Heero. I have my own thoughts and opinions. I may be designed to be like you but I'm not hundred percent you. All I've ever tried to do is show you that. But I guess it was never enough."

"You lied to me Serena." Heero paused for a moment, trying to collect himself. "You should've told me. You wanted to earn my trust so badly you should've been honest with me."

"It would've just opened a can of worms. You have no idea what kind of hell that would've brought not just me, but you and everyone else. It was safer if one knew." Serena shot back at him.

"That's bullshit and you know it. J told me how the chip works. We could've figured out a way to get it out without doing any damage." Serena only laughed at him.

"What did J tell you? I'm curious."

Heero narrowed his eyes at her. "That the chip was a way of controlling your memories and emotions."

Serena laughed again at him, but the laugh was bitter. "You think that's even the truth?" When Heero said nothing she continued on. "J is full of as much bullshit as you think I am. That little chip was his brilliant idea to let ROE control me. They wanted me better trained and to be more obedient. They wanted me to listen to every command they had without flaw."

"What?"

Serena shook her head as she turned away from him. "The chip works in other ways than what J told you. He simple told you the water-downed version of what it does."

"Then what does it do?"

Serena turned her head back to him. "Remember when I told you that I wanted to be in control of my own thoughts and feelings? Even my own body?" Heero nodded his head. "They controlled everything I did. From how I acted to how I performed certain tasks. They wanted full control over me and what better than that fucking chip." There was no getting around telling him now. This she knew, even if she didn't want to tell him.

"What do you mean?" Heero asked. He could tell that she was growing more agitated by the moment. Luckily for him, she was too weak to lash out and strike him.

"It's like being a fucking robot. From the way I walked to the way I spoke, everything was controlled by them. How I killed to even how…" She trailed off shaking her head.

"To what?" Heero probed her. "Serena, if you want my trust you need to tell me everything." Heero knew he was pushing her. He already knew how the chip worked, but to her it from her...

"I refuse to answer that." Serena turned her eyes to him. "I hated myself at times. When J would turn off the chip and allow me to be myself again, he'd make watch the video files from the chip of what I had done. It was sickening some of the things I did. It started to get to the point to where I started to enjoy being controlled by the chip. I was better, faster. I was invisible. When the chip was completely turned off I didn't know how to respond or act. I've been living for so long with it that I don't know how to survive without it."

"Why did you stop fighting back?" Heero asked after a moment.

"What?"

"Why did you stop fighting back against Edwards? You knew what he was doing was wrong, but you stopped fighting." Serena smiled sadly at him.

"Heero, I can't let my past define who I am today. If I let every little thing hinder me then I would've been dead a long time ago. I made a decision. I don't regret what I did."

"Serena…"

"I never stopped fighting back. Everything I do is one step closer to defeating him. You may think that I stopped, or that I gave up, but I didn't. I'm smarter than you think I am. Edwards disappeared two years ago because I attempted to assassinate him. He's still out there, I can feel it and one day I'll have my revenge for everything he's ever done to me."

"You're going to get yourself killed. You already almost have." Heero's frown deepened.

Her smile turned up a little more. "I'm not ready to die just yet, Heero." Heero shook his head. "Just do one thing for me?"

"What's that?"

"Don't tell Trowa."

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Sunday Funday! (Saturday Eve!)_

 _I would've posted this chapter yesterday but I wanted to let Relena for President have top spot! She's finally back from her break and has been working hard! If you're a fan if her's, you'll be excited for what she has in store! No I will not give any secrets away so don't bother asking me. But what I can tell you is that I'm very excited for what is to come._

 _Alright, now that I've gotten that out of the way, this was a tough chapter. Serena's upbringing, if you can even call it that, was not pleasant. The sad truth is that someone took advantage of her and the situation she was in. While she has pushed that aside, it doesn't mean that it doesn't come back to haunt her at times. But she is a fighter, like she said to Heero, she isn't ready to die just yet. Or does she? What about Trowa!? Girl you better get your stuff together._

 _Heero's view of Serena has completely changed. I'm sure you all have figure that out based on the last chapter, but will he voice this to her? It seems they've fallen back into their normal interactions. Will Heero be able to treat her like a person? Keeping his vow to protect her and help her? Or will Serena only reject his help because of the way he's treated her all this time? See I have questions of my own, its not just you guys! I think of this stuff too when I'm writing._

 _Thank you for reading and for putting up with my awesome author notes! But I have some news... we are officially heading towards the end of this story. How many chapters are left I'm not sure about just yet. But this is pretty much the beginning of the end. I will make sure to keep you posted about this, but thank you all for the continued support! Let's see this through to the very end! (You're going to either way because I don't plan on stopping. :-D )_

 _-MM_


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty-Six**

Reunited

Serena was relieved to back on Earth, even though she was exhausted. She had smiled as brightly as she could at Heero when they landed back in Brussels. It had been a long flight, but to be somewhere familiar, somewhere other than in the Colonies felt good, almost right. Serena couldn't place the correct word to describe how she felt. Home didn't feel right, because she didn't have a home to return to. But she felt warmed by the thought of being back. Like there was no other place she wanted to be but here, on Earth.

Heero and Serena were making their way through the apartment building. He had offered to carry her, but Serena refused. Only asking that she lean on him for support. _Stubborn,_ Heero thought to himself, but then again he could understand. He wouldn't want to be carried by someone if he could attempt to walk under his own power. Although he wouldn't have made her feel bad about it if she had accepted his offer. He had been tempted to pick her up when they had stepped off the elevator. Her knees had given way causing her to fall against him. But after a few minutes she found her footing again.

It was difficult watching her struggle. And yet, he continued to let her try.

Once outside the apartment door Heero was about to knock when he hear Serena speak next to him.

"Thank you… for everything."

Heero's hand hovered over the door as his eyes grew wide. He turned his head to her, only to see her staring at the ground. A small smile crept onto his lips as he adjusted the arm he had around her before knocking.

When Trowa opened the door, he hadn't been expecting to see Heero or Serena on the other side. He was about to call it a night since it was almost eleven and he had already changed into a pair of pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt. Stepping aside, Heero gave him a curt nod before moving with Serena into the apartment. Serena glanced at him briefly before dropping her head as they passed by him. Shutting the door, he turned around to see Heero guiding her towards the living room. Her arm draped around his neck while he had one of his wrapped around her waist.

Heero was planning to bring her to the guest room when she pulled away, making her way towards Trowa's bedroom instead. His brows knitted together as he watched her kick off her shoes before laying herself down on the bed. Curling up with a pillow. Sensing Trowa behind him, he turned to look at him.

"She can lay there, it's fine." Trowa kept his face masked. Even when his eyes darted to Serena for a brief second.

Heero lifted a brow before turning, shutting the door slightly. Turning back to Trowa he masked his own features. He wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe Serena was just that tired and didn't care where she slept, choosing the first place she saw available to rest. Keeping his eyes on Trowa he gesturing to the coach with his head. He knew Trowa had questions and he knew he wouldn't be able to leave until he answered those questions.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. When in reality, it had only been a few minutes. Neither one of them speaking, only staring, or rather Heero had been glaring at him. Trowa decided it was time to break the tension that was growing. They would spend the rest of the night in this stand off, but it wouldn't help him to find the answers he was seeking.

"Are you planning on telling me what happened?" Trowa said, leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs. "Or are you going to keep me in the dark?" He had been driving himself crazy not knowing where Serena was. Or what had happened. Sally had little information to offer so he was left to only guess.

"What did Sally tell you?" Heero stared blankly at him. If Relena had found out from Sally, or rather Duo had found out from Sally, there was no doubt Trowa had learned this information from her.

"Only that you took her to get help. Where did you take her?"

"L1."

"So you did bring her to see Doctor J." Trowa narrowed his eyes. He had figured that much, but he was unaware that Heero still had a way of contacting J. "Why?"

"It was the best option at the time." Heero narrowed his own eyes. Trowa was starting to become defensive. "If I hadn't, she may have stayed in a coma, or worse."

Trowa had gone quiet for a minute before speaking again. "What happened after you got there?"

"J had installed a Gundanium microchip in her. It malfunctioned, which is why she collapsed." Trowa dropped his glare, replacing it with a shocked expression.

"What?"

Heero closed his eyes for a moment before diving into what had happened. He explained everything to Trowa and even the finer details of how the chip worked. Once he was finished, he watched Trowa's face go from concern to anger then back to a mask of indifference.

"You're positive J removed it and that there was no permanent damage?" Trowa asked.

Heero nodded his head. "Yes, I saw the test results. It doesn't appear there is any damage other than she doesn't remember what happened from Monday up until now." Trowa nodded his head.

"So she's probably going to be sleeping a lot huh?"

"Probably, her body has to adjust to not having the chip running things. Other than that she'll be fine. Once her body has had time to heal, she'll be back to her normal self." Or what she's supposed to be like. Heero didn't voice the latter. It was too early to tell how Serena was going to truly respond.

"Hm." Trowa turned his head to look at his bedroom door. "I guess she'll probably be in there for at least the next few days." He said turning back to Heero. A hard expression on his face.

"Where do you plan to sleep if you're going to leave her in your bed?"

"I can sleep in the guest room or on the couch."

Trowa shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me." Trowa kept his face and voice flat.

"I'd prefer to have her stay with me, but she wanted to stay here. So if she's going to, I want you staying close by just incase she needs anything."

"Then it looks like I'm sleeping on the couch." Trowa said back.

"Are you a relationship with her?" Heero asked bluntly. Serena had begged him to let her stay with Trowa. When he questioned her, all she told him was that she felt more comfortable being at Trowa's.

Trowa tried not to give anything away. Keeping his face as masked as possible. He hadn't expected Heero to come out and ask him. Especially in the tone which Heero had used. "No, I only see her as a friend. Nothing more."

Heero had been watching Trowa carefully. He saw a slight reaction but he couldn't decipher what it meant. Going for the latter, he nodded his head. "Good."

Heero had already warned him once not to get involved with Serena. He felt just as strongly about it now than he had the first time he had said it. Especially after what had happened and what he had learned about her.

"I don't have anything else to add so I'm going to head home now. I'll check in later to see how she's doing." Heero stood making his way to Trowa's bedroom door. Opening it more, he looked in at Serena. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even, indicating she was sleeping. Turning back around to face Trowa, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a data stick. "This is for her. She can do whatever she wants with it."

Trowa took the data stick from Heero, staring down at it before meeting his eyes again. "What is it?"

Heero shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what it is. I couldn't get in it and I didn't ask her. J just said it belong to her and he thought maybe she'd like it back." Trowa nodded his head in understanding, before closing his hand around it.

Heero hadn't told Trowa what he had actually learned about Serena. Keeping the promise he had made to her. But he felt if she wanted to, the information was all there for her to do so. Why she didn't want Trowa knowing was one question he couldn't figure out. He could understand her not wanting others to know, but to ask him to not tell Trowa anything about her past made him question their relationship. That and when she had begged him to let her return to Trowa's appointment, instead of staying at his and Relena's house.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Heero said his goodbyes before letting himself out.

After Heero left, Trowa raked a hand through his hair. He had been worried and anger. But the second his eyes landed on Serena everything he had been feeling up till then flew out the window. She was back and for the most part she was okay. Making his way into his room, Serena was still laying peacefully on the bed, a soft express on her face. It had been three day's since the hellish event. Six from when everything had first started. Six days of not knowing and when he had seen her, she wasn't the same person he had known.

Trowa placed the data stick on the nightstand before sliding himself onto the bed. He knew he shouldn't wake her, but he couldn't help himself. He needed to be near her. To know that it wasn't just a dream. Laying down next to her, they were face to face when he saw her eyes flutter open. Deep blue -her eyes- stared back at him.

"Hi." She spoke softly.

"Hi." He said back just as softly to her. He reached his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She nuzzled herself into him as he placed a kiss to her head. Closing his eyes he savored the feeling of finally having her in his arms again. To have her home.

* * *

Relena rushed down the stairs, making it to the front door just as Heero had opened it. Without a second thought she flung herself at him. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. His arms coming up, encircling her.

"Where have you been!?" Relena tightened her arms, holding back a few straw tears. "I was worried about you."

"I needed to get Serena help. Sally wouldn't have been able to help her." Heero tightened his arms, resting his head against hers. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Relena pulled away enough to look up at him. "I understand that you needed to take Serena to wherever you went, but next time," Relena paused to smile at him. "Just tell me."

She was too forgiving. Always was, at least when it came to him. Heero's heart fluttered, he didn't deserve her.

"Where's Serena?" Relena looked around him to the now closed door.

"She's with Trowa." Relena swung her eyes back to him.

"Oh."

Heero didn't like the look Relena was giving him. It was as if she was really saying _"ah-ha,"_ like she knew something. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Relena shook her head, "I just thought you'd be bring her back here. Trowa left around five to go home and Wufei is somewhere…"

"I'm leaving now that you're back." Wufei said as he rounded the kitchen corner. "The alarm tripped when you pulled into the driveway. Not bad, Yuy."

Heero nodded his head. At least they had been using the security system he had worked so hard to install. He had to entered his code along with his hand print to access the front door.

"Thanks." Heero offered Wufei his hand. He knew he'd owe him big for this. It wasn't like him to just up and leave, at least not anymore. Wufei took Heero's offered hand.

"Next time, just give us more of a heads up."

"Hn." Heero nodded his head again. Relena said goodbye to Wufei before the two retired to their bedroom. Heero had done a sweep of their home, satisfied that Wufei had already locked down for the night.

When Heero entered their bedroom he saw Relena at the end of their bed, waiting for him. She had on a thin nightgown that left little to the imagination. He moved swiftly, encircle her in his arms once again. "I missed you." He murmured into her hair.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Relena pulled away enough to smile up at him. "I've missed you." Heero dipped his head, pressing his lips to hers. He was kicking himself for taking off without so much as a word to her. He had told her that he wouldn't do it anymore. That he'd at least say goodbye, even if he couldn't tell her where he was going. He had failed to do so this time.

Relena responded back just as she always had, pressing her lips just as eagerly to his. His hands tangled in her hair before he lowered them to her waist. Guiding them back a few steps, Heero gently pushed Relena backwards, causing her to fall onto the bed before he crawled up on top of her. His mouth already back on hers.

"What's gotten into you?" Relena asked, breaking their heated kiss.

"I've missed you." Heero frowned when Relena arched her brow at him.

"I know that… but you're acting like we need to have sex right this second."

"So?" Heero lifted himself up. "Am I not allowed to?"

"You are, but…" Heero didn't let her finish as he captured her lips again. Reaching down to her thigh, he slowly pushed her nightgown up to her waist. Relena already tugging at his shirt.

Breaking away from her, Heero sat up pulling his shirt over his head. Relena moved back enough to sit up, already working on his belt and pants. Heero rid himself of his clothing before working to remove Relena's nightgown. Pulling it over her head, he threw it carelessly to the side, where all of his clothes had gone.

Relena lowered herself back down, keeping her eyes trained on him. Her honey-blonde hair pooling around her head. Her eyes sparkled up at him as her lips curled into a smile. Heero wasted no time move back over her. Letting his fingers trail a path from her thighs to her breasts. His mouth working its way from her neck down. Her hands were in his hair, encouraging him to continue. Wet kisses leading from her chest down to her stomach. He heard her gasp when he reached just past her navel. Smiling to himself he continued, moving farther down. His hand following close behind.

Relena's breaths were shallow as she tried to control her breathing. Heero lifted his head, looking up from between her legs. Her lips were parted as she whimpered. Deciding he couldn't wait any longer, he crawled up her body. Kissing her hard on the lips before lifting her legs so he positioned himself between them. Pushing himself into her, it felt like the first time, the first time they had shared themselves with each other.

He started slow, like he always had. Letting Relena adjust before setting a faster pace. Her breathy moans encouraging him to continue. Slowly picking up the pace, he adjusted his hold on her hips, helping to guide her own movements in time with his own.

Relena arched her back, her lips parting. Heero bit down on his own lip as he gripped her hips tighter. Pushing himself hard. That one movement, and the way she looked then sending his mind into overdrive.

She loved him. Willing to give herself to him without a second thought. Her hair was fanned around on the bed sheets. Her skin glistening from the lights above them. Everything thought he had about her making his heart race in time to his thrusts. Gritting his teeth, he lifted her hips higher, causing her to cry out louder. He needed to pour himself into her, to show her that he did care, that she meant so much more to him than he could ever express...

Heero knew he couldn't hold out much longer. Maybe he shouldn't have lost control, but his emotions were overwhelming him. Everything he never said to her finally catching up to him. When Relena cried out his name, it became his undoing. Holding onto her tightly, he allowed his own release to overtake him.

Heero's breathing was ragged as he stared down at her. Relena's skin was flushed with a light sheen that made her glow even more than she normally did. His eyes roamed her body for a beat more, before reaching her eyes. Thousands of words passing through them, but only three held the most meaning. He opened his mouth, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Relena, I…"

* * *

 _"What is it like to be in love?" Heero swung his head towards her. His eyes wide. Searching, questioning her._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"What does it feel like to be in love? Or to be loved back?" Heero stared at her for a while before speaking again._

 _"It's not something you can easily explain," Heero started slowly. "I can't give you a definition that would explain it in a way you'd understand."_

 _"I'm not asking for the technical version, I'm asking how you feel."_

 _Heero frowned before turning his head away her. She studied his face. He was struggling with the question. Multiple expressions had passed over his face before he opened his mouth again. "It's a feeling like no other. Not like the rush you get when you're flying through space or even Earth's atmosphere. I can't even compare it to fighting in a battle. It's like a rush of adrenaline that courses through you, making your heart stop and speed up all at the same time. But it's light, it can make you feel weightless but so grounded that it could shake that very ground you're standing on. It makes your head spin and when you think you've come down from the high it starts all over again. It makes you burn for more and drives you to something you never thought possible. To protect, to fight and even to comfort with no need for it in return. But when the feeling is returned… it's..."_

 _Heero stopped, turning back to her. His eyes were hard, but they held a look she had never seen in them before. "I love Relena more than anything in this world. I would do anything and everything for her. Why she chose me is still something I struggle with, but she did. She fell in love with me, the same way I feel in love with her. She makes me feel grounded, she gives me a purpose to live. But most importantly, her love shows me that I'm not soulless, that my heart can and does love someone. And for that, I will always be eternally grateful to her for."_

 _Serena could only stare at him. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath._

 _"I want to know what that feels like..." She breathed. Her voice just above a whisper..._

Serena's eyes snapped open. Her heart racing as she glanced around the room. Turning her head to the side, her eyes landed on Trowa. His face was relaxed and his breathing indicated he was in a deep sleep. His arm still draped over her.

Sighing to herself she brought a hand to her face. She had been dreaming. Replaying the conversation she had had with Heero on their flight back to Earth. A question she hadn't expected him to answer, and answer honestly.

She had taken every word he said and had held onto it. If love could feel so incredible, be that powerful, maybe it was worth the risk. If she could, just for once feel like that, maybe she could continue to fight. With _hope_ that there was something better out there for her. Something worth living for, rather than dying. But death was all she knew. Her life would end one day, and it would most likely be sooner than she had expected. She had been prepared for it, was still prepared to die for her cause. Edwards would burn to the ground along side her.

Serena's thoughts shifted to Trowa. How could she have forgotten? He was the main reason she wanted to be back on Earth. She owed him, what she wasn't sure, but she knew she owed it to him to see him again. Maybe it had been for her own reassurance that he was in fact alright, or that she simply needed him. She wasn't sure anymore.

Then she thought about the last thing she remembered him saying to her. He had told her that he loved her. She felt her heart start to race and thinking about what Heero had said to her, she knew Trowa was telling the truth when he had spoken those words. He did love her. But did she? Could she even be capable of loving him in return?

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. Could she even do what she needed to do anymore? Could she leave everything behind to go after Edwards? Serena opened her eyes, turning her head to look at him.

 _Is this love?_ She thought to herself.

The idea of leaving him hurt. Pain gripping at her chest, like thousands of needles stabbing at her own heart, while it still raced to pump blood through her veins. Maybe it was just a side effect of what had happened to her. But when she had learned about everything, she had been fearful that she had hurt Trowa, or worse...

Her thoughts and feeling coursing through her were confusing. She couldn't make sense of one thing or another. Why was all of this so hard to understand? And why did everything feel that much more intense?

* * *

Trowa woke up when he felt someone move next him. He had forgotten what had happen till his eyes were fully open. Serena was trying to get out of bed, but was struggling to do so. Sitting up he reached over turning on the lamp that sat on the nightstand. Glancing at the clock, it was one in the morning. They had only been asleep for a few hours. Turning back he took in the sight of her.

Pale skin with dark circles around her dimly lite blue eyes. She looked like she had gone through hell and back. "Serena?"

"I'm fine." She knew he wouldn't buy it. The concern not just on his face but in his eyes telling her so. "I just need to use the bathroom."

Trowa watched as she managed to get her legs off the bed before standing. Though it didn't appear she'd be staying upright for long. Without a second thought Trowa moved across the bed to help steady her. Once he felt her wrap an around him, they started walking. Serena had little to no strength in her legs; in fact her whole body seemed to have none to support herself. They had only made it a few steps before Trowa stopped them so he could pick her up and carry her.

Once in the bathroom he set her down, still supporting her. "Do you…"

"No I can manage from here." Her eyes never meeting his. It was bad enough she couldn't walk on her own power but she didn't need his help… at least for this. She honestly didn't want him to see her like this. She had caught sight of what she looked like in the mirror. Death, that was the only word she could find to describe herself.

Trowa didn't say anything as he left the bathroom. Sitting on the bed to wait for her. He knew what she was thinking and he didn't want to make her feel worse than she already was. It wasn't long till the bathroom door open and Serena stood holding onto the door frame. Standing he quickly made his way over to her.

"I wanna get out of these clothes." Her soft voice catching him off guard. Looking down at her, she looked so helpless.

"Do you need help?"

"Yeah." Serena laughed bitterly. "Heero had to help me get dressed earlier."

"What?"

"I couldn't get my shirt on. I used all my energy and by then I just couldn't lift my arms." Serena smiled weakly at him. "Just help me get out of these, please?"

Trowa smirked softly before helping her back to the bed. Once she was seated he helped her to remove her clothing. They normally slept naked, but he knew one thing she'd be more comfortable wearing. Standing up he removed his shirt, placing it over her head and helping her get her arms through the sleeves. Serena's brow shot up, but said nothing.

Removing his pants he helped Serena get comfortable before he laid down himself. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her close to him again. Her eyes were tired but they still held that softens she always seemed to have for him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Then her eyes darkened. He knew it was a risk asking her, but he needed to. Needed to know why she'd hide something like this from him.

"I told you I'm not who you think I am."

"You say that a lot, but it still hasn't changed my opinion of you."

"If I had told you, told you what I'm really capable of, would you have stayed?"

"What?"

"I know Heero told you, but do you even know what I'm capable of?"

"You wouldn't hurt me. You _didn't_ hurt me." He corrected.

"I could've, without so much as a second thought. How I didn't is beyond me. I could've killed you and felt nothing." Serena's eyes hardened. Her words were dark, but he knew she was telling him the truth.

"But you didn't. I saw you, you were still in there. The chip hadn't completely taken over you."

"Trowa…" Serena's closes her eyes then. "It was better that no one knew. When I suspected something was wrong, I left. It was to protect you from myself." Her eyes opened and even with the clouded haze Trowa could see the sincerity in them. "They control me and I can't stop myself once the chip is activated."

"We could've figured out something, a way to remove it." Serena shook her head before they fell into silence. Serena had a far away look in her eyes, even as she looked at him.

"I was worried about you." Trowa said, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Serena's eyes grew wide.

"I was scared. Scared _something_ had happened to you. I thought maybe you were…" Trowa shook his head side to side against his pillow. "I wasn't sure I'd ever get to see you again. To hold you, like I am now."

"Trowa…" Serena didn't know what to say. Her heart was starting to race again as she gazed into his emerald eyes.

Trowa closed the distance between them, capturing her lips with his. Bring his hand up to her face, he thumbed from her cheek to her jaw. Her hand lay against his chest as he deepened the kiss.

"I don't want to lose you." Trowa murmured when he pulled away from her. "I can't lose you, not after everything that's happened."

"Trowa… I'm sorry…" Serena was once again at a loss for words. How could she even respond to what he had just said?

"Promise me," Trowa looked deep into her eyes. "That no matter what happens, you'll be honest with me. I don't care what it is, or if you're afraid, just tell me. I'll do everything within my power to protect you, Serena."

"I can't do that." Serena's eyes turn down cast. "I can't make a promise that I cannot keep."

"Why not?" Trowa tighten his arms around her.

"I don't know what's going to happen." Serena looked back up into his eyes. "I don't need you getting hurt on my account. If something does happen you need to worry about yourself, not me."

"I told you that you don't have to do this alone, that you'll never be alone again."

"I know." Serena whispered. "But we don't know what's going to happen." Serena shook her head again. "I'm too tired to think about this anymore."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Trowa kissed her forehead. "You should be resting. Just… think over what I said, alright?"

Serena nodded her head before curling up against his chest again. At least for now, she was safe. Safe in his arms.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Thursday!_

 _I want to sincerely apologize for not posting sooner. I kind of went off the deep end and spent the last few days working on another fic... I couldn't help myself, so many ideas that they just needed to be freed. :-D But I hope this long chapter makes up for that and well... one or two scenes in particular._

 _I'm tempted to get into detail about this chapter but then my author's note might get too long. So let's quickly sum this up. Heero thinks something's going on between Trowa and Serena... I think he's going to figure_ all of it _out very soon. I know a lot of you are waiting for that reaction, don't worry, it's worth the wait. Also any guesses as to what Heero said to Relena? I know, I know, I didn't have him come out and say it, but I hope the following scene made up for that. I could've had him say it, but I think the conversation he had with Serena was more powerful than him just saying it. And besides... this is Heero we're talking about!_

 _Serena... unfortunately if you all thought Serena would figure things out by now, well, she is like Heero when it comes to the subject of love. She's going to question every little thing till she fully understands it. But the question will still remain, will she accept her feelings and love Trowa back? Also I've been asked before about Serena's name. Her name is a play off of Relena's and Lowell is based on Odin Lowe. Serena did this purposely, so if she ever needed to, she could leave a footprint for Heero. I honestly don't think I'll have her explain it, so I'm doing it for her. Think about it, these two people meant something to Heero at one point or another. It's also a little nod to him._

 _Alright, I will try and have another chapter ready by Sunday the latest. So long as I don't get side tracked... but so far so good, I came up with some more stuff to add to this story so I'm excited about that. :-D Have a great day everyone!_

 _-MM_


	47. Chapter 47

_A/N Happy unofficially Birthday to Heero! Woot woot!_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Seven  
Overprotective**

Heero couldn't sleep, even though his body demanded the rest. But his mind wouldn't let him. After everything that had happened, knowing he was back home and that Serena was safe, he still didn't feel any better. It didn't help that his emotions had gotten the best of him.

" _Relena, I love you."_

He didn't regret saying the words to her. If anything, he wished he had told her years ago. The conversation he had with Serena had sparked something within him. He knew he loved Relena, but telling her was something he had always held back on. Why was it that when Serena had asked him, he willingly told her? Confessed to how deeply in love he was with Relena. Maybe it was because he understood, more than ever what Serena didn't. He had been there; in her shoes, wondering what love was, or if it was something he was capable of.

Why did she ask him in the first place? She had asked him random questions before, but this time it was different. Why did she want to know what love felt like? Heero knitted his brows together. Something wasn't adding up. She had begged him to let her stay with Trowa. And had gone as far as to ask him not to tell Trowa anything that he had learned about her. Was she asking because she was trying to understand something she felt? Or was it because Trowa had said something to her?

Heero shook his head trying to dispel the thoughts. She could've just been curious, a loaded but innocent question. Although the annoy voice in his head was telling him differently.

Heero's thoughts shift backed to the conversation, along with past ones. Serena trusted him, but why? She had no real reason to, but she had and still did. She took everything he said seriously even if it didn't seem like she did. Had trusted him and even thanked him when they returned to Earth. Maybe he still wasn't seeing everything. Up until recently, J was the only person she could trust.

 _What a whole lot of good that did her_. Heero thought to himself.

Serena didn't have anyone else. No one she could count on. Thinking back on one conversation, the very first one he had with her, Heero remembered her how she told him that she knew everything about him. Had study his file, learning everything she could about him. One would find it odd, and mostly creepy to have a total stranger know so much about you, but knowing what he did now, a lot of it made sense. If Serena had immersed herself in a world of learning about not only himself but the others, maybe it made her feel not as alone. What would he have done in her shoes? If the roles were verse.

Then an idea came into his mind. If he took a step back and viewed everything from her perspective, maybe his understanding would be clearer.

Serena's life had been similar to his. It was all she had known and now she was trusted into a world she didn't know. Thinking back on everything she had been trying to reach out to him. She may not have gone about things in the best of ways, but she had been trying. Heero frowned then, feeling so foolish. He missed all the warning signs, had been so hung up on whether or not he could trust her that he never stopped to think about how she may have been feeling, or what her words really meant.

Heero brought a hand up to his face. He felt sorry for her, but what was worse, was that he felt guilty for not trying harder. She needed someone, someone who she could trust. Someone to have her back. He should've been that person from the start. But he hadn't been. Heero's thoughts shifted again. She trusted Trowa. But he had been kind to her from the very start. Trowa had been more open to hearing what she had to say and had gone as far as to offer her a place to stay and look after her. Maybe that was another reason she wanted to be back with him. Part of him didn't blame her.

Heero turned his head to the side, looking at alarm clock sitting on top of his nightstand. It was already three in the morning. Turning his head back, he closed his eyes. He needed to try and sleep. No doubt that come the morning he'd be placing a call to Une to explain where he had gone and why he took Serena. It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to, and not to mention he would need to call Trowa and see how Serena faired through the night.

* * *

Heero awoke to soft lips pressing against his forehead. He could smell the faint hint of lavender that was still lingered on her skin. Without opening his eyes, he reach an arm out. Draping it around her body before pulling her close.

"Morning." He murmured as he nestled himself closer to her.

"Good morning." Relena smiled as she brought her lips to his head again. Kissing him lightly. "How did you sleep?" Heero cracked an eye open.

"Good." He didn't exactly want to get up, and in reality, he didn't get much sleep. Relena moves herself closer to him, sighed when he tightened his arm around her.

"Last night was… incredible." Relena whispered.

"Yeah…" Heero "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Relena pulled away. "Why would you think that?"

"I lost control. I…"

"You were showing me that you loved me." Relena cut him off. "That and you said…" Relena trailed off biting her lip. Heero had told her those three little words she had been waiting to hear for so long.

"I know." Heero looked deep into her eyes. "I should've said them to you years ago."

"Why now?" Relena smiles softly at him. "What changed?" Relena's smile fell when she saw his eyes tighten. "Heero? Is everything alright?"

Relena hadn't asked what took place while he was away and he hadn't told her. Was it because of Serena that he had told Relena that he loved her? Or was it because of everything else that had happen?

"Heero?" Relena's worries voice pulling him from his thoughts.

"Doctor J implanted a Gundanium microchip into Serena." Heero blurted out. Relena's eye grew wide as her hand shot yo to her mouth.

"What?"

Heero moved so he could sit up. The sheets falling to his waist, show casing his bare chest. "Serena left because the chip was activated and when she showed up at Trowa's apartment it malfunctioned. What you saw was the chip burning out, causing Serena to go back and forth between reality and in a sense, an alternative reality created by the chip. From my understanding she didn't know who she was or where she was."

"That's why she reacted the way she did?"

"Yes," Heero frowned as he continued. "It also caused her to be in a great deal of pain."

"But she's okay now?"

"For the most part."

"Heero, that's terrible." Heero nodded his head in agreement. "What does the chip do exactly?"

Heero debated whether or not he should tell her anything. Then he debated _how_ much to tell her. Deciding at the end to tell her a shortened version, leaving out details he didn't feel Relena really needed to know. By the end he was starting to regret telling her. Relena's face went through a series of expression before her face took on a hardened expression. One she normally reserved for when she was in a meeting with other delegates. The one that said she wasn't backing down and it was going to be her way or the highway. Heero had been given this look a few times over the years.

"How could Doctor J do something like that to her!? She'sa kind person, caring, why would she need something as horrible as this chip implanted in her? She was trained the same way _you_ were, so why!?"

"Edwards didn't think it was enough." Heero had left out that it was done to really control Serena. Serena was highly skilled before she and J met Edwards. In a lot of ways Heero understand him for wanting someone like Serena to work for him. But for whatever reason, Serena didn't agree with what they were trying to do. If J ordered her to do something, she did it flawlessly. But if Edwards did, she refused or half assed it.

"What do you plan to do now? What does Serena plan to do?" Heero shook his head. Relena pulling him from his thoughts once again.

"Protect her." Heero said calmly, but sternly. "Chances are they're going to try and come back to get her. We can't let them. Not only would we lose her, but we'd lose all chances of stopping them."

Relena took on a surprised expression. "Oh."

"What?"

"You went from not liking her to wanting to protect her." Relena's lips curled up. "Sounds familiar." Heero's face fell from his usual mask, to one of recognition. "It took you long enough." Relena laughed playfully before her face turned serious. "Just don't go overboard. I'm sure Serena will appreciate the effect, but don't push it. Don't smother her."

"I will make sure she's protected at all cost."

"Then ask Trowa to help." Relena elaborated, "she trusts him. He's been a calming presence for her and she might be more willing to go along with your ideas if _he's_ the one to tell her."

Heero was absolutely sure at this point that _something_ was going on between Serena and Trowa. More so that Relena seemed to know as well. "What do you know about them?" Relena's brow shot up.

"They're friends."

"Just friends?" Heero narrowed his eyes.

"Yup. Nothing more, nothing less." Relena quickly threw off the sheets, hopping out of bed. "I need to start getting ready. Work won't wait around forever." Relena hoped that her face didn't show anything. She had a feeling that Trowa and Serena were more than just friends, but neither of them had said anything. Serena wouldn't come out and say something. Hopefully she could keep Heero's new found interest at bay till she could speak with to them. Or at least one of them. Trowa had been unusually quiet when he had been her bodyguard the past few days. His thoughts seemed elsewhere even though he was physically present. Relena had no doubts that he was wondering where Serena was and if she was okay. She had the same thoughts as well, even though she didn't voice them.

Relena smiled to herself as she made a beeline for the bathroom, Heero grumbling from the bed before she heard him stand. She could always take his mind off things for at least a little while.

* * *

Over the next two days, all Serena did was sleep. She'd wake for only a few hours, if that, before falling back asleep. It was as if her body couldn't handle more than that. Trowa had been working from home so he could stay with her, should she need anything. Heero had called him the following morning to let him know that he'd speak with Une about him staying with Serena. Heero had also said he'd be checking in throughout the day. Not only did he keep to his word, but he had called several times, as well as stopped by to see how she was doing. Trowa had found it odd that Heero had all of a sudden took a bigger interest in Serena. More so than he had when she was checking in daily with one or all of them. Heero had at one point backed off with the check in's, but Trowa wondered if something more had happened that Heero wasn't telling him.

Serena's first day back, Trowa had been able to convince her to take a shower. Hoping the warm water would comfort her in some way, as well as relax her body. But after only a few minutes of them being in the shower, they ended up sit on the title floor. Serena's body slouched against his. He had helped wash her hair and body and by the time he was done, she had already fallen asleep again.

Whenever he tried to get her eat she either refused or took a couple of bites of whatever he had made her. Her appetite seamlessly gone. It worried him but the only thing he was grateful for was the fact she had been drinking water. At least she was staying hydrated. It had been hard to watch her at times. Whenever she was awake she'd lie in bed, staring at the walls, or himself if he was with her. A distant look in her eyes. He had tried to talk to her, to figure out what if something was bothering her, but she had refused on several occasions. The only thing he could come up with was that her body was just adjusting and maybe that her mind hadn't caught up to everything yet. In the end, he tried not to press her. She needed to rest and he planned to let her. Unless Heero called asking to speak to her, or he'd just show up, wanting to see her.

Trowa was standing in the kitchen making some eggs and toast for Serena. Hoping she'd eat this time. Three days had passed since she returned and he had yet to get her to eat a full meal. He kept her meals light. Soup, diced fruit, yogurt, and even a sandwich. He kept the portions small, as to not upset her stomach, but even that wasn't working.

Trowa had managed to turn on the stove top when a knock came at the door. Trying not to roll his eyes, he knew who was no doubt on the other side. Glancing at the clock he noted that it was five. _He's an hour later than he's been._ Trowa thought to himself as he headed towards the door. Unlocking the deadbolt, he opened the door to be greeted by none other than Heero. But what surprised him was the fact Relena was with him this time. She smiled brightly at him, before he turned his eyes to Heero. His normal stosic scowl etched on his face. Relena had probably asked to tag along.

Stepping to the side he allowed the pair in, shutting the door behind them.

"Where is she?" Heero asked passing by him.

"Same place she's been." Trowa tilted his head towards the bedroom door. "She's awake." Heero nodded his head before disappearing into the bedroom. Trowa returned to the kitchen, checking the pan he had placed on the burner to see if it was ready. Satisfied that it was, he placed a small amount of button on the pan before whisking the eggs he had cracked in a bowl one last time.

"So.." Relena started as she came to stand next to him. "How is she doing?"

"She seems to be okay. Still sleeping a lot." Trowa said as he poured the eggs into the pan.

"Heero said she probably would." Trowa nodded his head. "Trowa?" Relena asked tentatively after a moment.

"Hm?" Trowa glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

" _Are_ you in a relationship with Serena?" Relena asked quietly.

"Huh?" Trowa's eyes grew wide as he turned his head sharply to her.

"Don't give me that look." Relena placed both her hands on her hips. "Sally mentioned that _maybe_ you guys were together." _Not to mention the way you've been acting._ Relena said to herself.

"I don't…"

"I've had my suspicions." Relena cut him off, before leaning in closer to him. "So doesn't Heero." She said in a hush whisper.

"Why are you telling me this?" Trowa asked, keeping his voice low.

"Because, Heero's been acting differently since he returned with Serena. I'm sure you've noticed." Relena gustard towards the bedroom door. "He's not going to come out and say anything till he has a reason to. More like _when_ you guys give him a _reason_ to. If you are in a relationship, I won't say anything to him, but" Relena smiled at him before continuing. "I'm just worried about how _he's_ going to react if and when he finds out."

Trowa took a moment to ponder what Relena had said to him. Nodding his head, he knew Relena was just trying to give him a heads up. Heero's actions hadn't gone unnoticed by him but he hadn't thought about how Heero would react if he did find out about their relationship. "Thanks for the warning." Trowa said.

"I'm just trying to look out for the both of you." Relena smiled at him. "So, how is she _really_ doing?" Relena lifted a brow at him. "How are _you_ doing?"

Trowa sighed before turning back to the stove. "She hasn't said much to me, I think she's still upset about everything and doesn't know what to do right now. As far as myself," Trowa shrugged. "I'm just happy she's back."

"You must've been worried." Relena face fell into a sad smile when Trowa nodded his head.

"I now understand what you've gone through in the past. Whenever Heero would leave and you didn't know where he was, or when he was coming back." Trowa turned his head back to Relena, a small smile on her face.

"It's not a fun feeling is it?" Trowa shook his head. "I wish I could tell you that the feeling goes away over time, but it doesn't." Relena said, laying a hand on his arm. "You just have to trust that she'll return, no matter what doubts you have." Relena offered him another smile before dropping her hands back to her side. Maybe they should've had this conversation before Heero and Serena had returned. Maybe it would've helped Trowa handle some of the stress of not knowing what was going on. Relena understood first hand how emotionally draining it could be at times. But she had also learned, and learned early on that one could never stop believing that the one they loved would return to them.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Heero asked Serena as he made his way over to the side of the bed. Helping her into a sitting position.

"The same as yesterday." Serena said as Heero sat down next to her.

"You haven't had any new side effects?" Serena shook her head 'no'. "How's your memory?"

Serena sighed, it was the same line of questioning he had been asking her for days now. "It's fine. I still remember everything that's happened since we came back." Heero frowned at her.

"Have you been eating?" It was Serena's turn to frown. "You haven't, have you? You need to eat, Serena."

"I don't have an appetite."

"You have to try."

"I'm not hungry." Serena said more aggressively, as she tightened her eyes.

"I'm just worried…"

"Worried that there might actually be something wrong or that I might relapse back into a coma. I know." Serena cut him off. Heero's frown only deepened. "Sorry." Serena said, biting her lip. She wasn't trying to snap at him, but his line of questioning was getting old. Not to mention annoying. "I'm fine, really. If something doesn't seem right, I told you I'd call or have Trowa call you."

"And I still want you to call if _anything_ changes. I don't care what time of day it is." Serena nodded her head in understanding. Heero wanted her to see Sally, but after everything he thought that maybe giving her a few days to recover would be better then having Sally run more tests on her. He still planned to, but only when Serena was feeling better. "Good. I needed to talk to you about the meeting Une pushed back till Thursday."

"What about it?" Serena lifted a brow at him.

"Une wants you to attend the meeting, but _only_ if you're feeling well enough to come."

"She's not planning on arresting me, is she?" Serena deadpanned. The last thing she needed was to be thrown in jail. In her current condition she doubted she'd be able to escape on her own.

Heero chuckled at her expression before receiving a glare from her. "No, if Une wanted you taken into custody, you would've been by now."

"That's reassuring." Serena rolled her eyes. "Why does Une want me there then?"

"We need to go over what information we have and formulate a plan on how we're going to handle ROE. Because of what happened with you, Une pushed everything aside until we knew what was going on. Now that you're back we can continue to move forward."

"How much did you tell her?" Serena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just what she needed to know." Heero hardened his features. "We're running out of time and we _need_ you or we can't make any kind of move against them."

"You should've asked J, I'm pretty much useless at this point." Serena folded her arms over her chest. She knew even if they had asked J, chances were he wouldn't tell them anything. Or it'd be some cryptic game they'd have to decode to find the answers they were seeking. Then she remembered something.

"Shit." She cursed under her breath.

"What is it?" Heero lifted a brow at her.

"The coordinates. The ones Wufei found. I still haven't finished going over them." Serena groaned as she brought her hands up to her face. "If I can work on them, maybe I can find a location."

"No." Heero said sternly. "You're supposed to rest, if anything I can work on them and I find anything I'll let you know."

"But you don't even know what you're looking for."

"I'm sure I can manage."

"Heero," Serena growled at him. "You'll need my help."

"And you need to recover or you won't be able to help." Heero said pointedly.

"Fine." Serena said before her eyes darted to the doorway. Trowa had entered carrying a plate, Relena following behind him.

Trowa walked over to her, setting a plate with scrambled eggs and toast down next to the glass of water she had on the nightstand. He had heard them talking, but like any other time, they only spoke in Japanese to each other.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Serena swung her eyes back to Heero.

"No." Heero shook his head, but the look he gave her told her there was more. "You should eat, I'll come by again tomorrow."

"Yeah." Serena turned her eyes to Relena when Heero stood.

"Hi, Serena. How are you feeling?" Relena smiled from the doorway.

"Good." Serena offered her a small smile.

"That's good to hear. Heero, we should probably get going." Heero nodded his head before giving Serena one last look. Some color had returned to her face but the dark circles underneath her eyes showed how she was truly feeling.

"I'll see you both out." Trowa said from where he had been standing next to the bed.

Once they were by the door, Heero stopped short of opening it. Turning to Trowa, "get her to eat something."

"I've been trying. She doesn't have much of an appetite."

"Just keep trying. I'll see you tomorrow." Heero said before opening the door. Relena stepped out first offering Trowa a smile before saying her goodbyes. Closing the door once Heero and Relena started walking down the hallway, Trowa turned around to see Serena standing, leaning against the doorframe.

"You should be in bed." Trowa said as he came to stand in front of her.

"I need a change of scenery." Serena shrugged. Trowa glanced around before his eyes landed on the couch.

"Why don't you go sit and I'll bring your food to you."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat. You've barely had anything the last two days." Trowa frowned when Serena averted her eyes. "Serena…"

"I know. I just don't feel like eating." Serena cut him off. She knew he was worried, but she just didn't feel up to eating anything.

"Is my cooking really that terrible?" Trowa's brow shot up as well as the corners of his lips.

"No." Serena turned wide eyes to him before her face fell. "That wasn't funny." She said, while he chuckled at her.

"Sorry." Trowa said, schooling his face. "Go sit down, and you're going to try and eat." Serena frowned before pushing herself from the doorframe only to stumble. Trowa's arm shooting out to catch her..

"Are you okay?" Trowa asked. "Maybe you should go back to bed."

"I can't lay in bed all day. It's driving me crazy. All I've done is sleep and when I am awake my mind is racing, thinking over everything I _should_ be doing." Serena gritted her teeth. These episodes of being awake only to fall back into a deep sleep were pushing her limits.

"I know, but your body needs time to heal." Trowa knew she was becoming more frustrated. She had woken up around four that morning and while she had tried to stay quiet and let him sleep, she ended up waking him up. " _I just wanted someone to talk to…"_ It had been one of the few conversations that had lasted for a bit of time before they both fell back asleep.

"For once could you not sound like Heero?" Serena glanced up him. "You two are conspiring against me, aren't you?" It was Serena's turn to laugh at him when all he could do was stare at her wide eyed.

"We're just trying to do what's best for you." Trowa frowned.

"Yeah." Serena shook her head before trying to move again, only to have Trowa pick her up and carry her to the couch.

"I'm going to get your food. Is there anything else I can get you?" When Serena shook her head, Trowa went into the bedroom, grabbing the plate and her glass of water before his eyes landed on the data stick sitting on the other nightstand. He had forgotten all about it. Setting the plate and water down, he walked around the bed before pocketing the small device. Once again picking up the plate and glass Trowa made his way back out into the living room.

Serena was sitting, wrapped up in a blanket that he had left purposely on the couch for even Heero was there. Her head was turned looking out the window before she turned up to look at him as he sat down next to her. Handing her the plate, he placed her glass of water on the coffee table. He watched as she moved the eggs around but after a few minutes she still hadn't taken a bite.

"Serena you need to try." She glanced at him before stabbing a piece and bring it to her mouth. "Thank you." Trowa smiled even as she rolled her eyes. Serena managed to eat more than half of the food, before she set the plate down.

"I can't eat any more…" Serena said, keeping her eyes downcast.

"It's okay. I'm just happy you ate something." Trowa stood, taking the plate to the kitchen before returning to the couch. Remembering the data stick, Trowa reached in his pocket. "I have something for you."

"Huh?" Serena turned her head to him. Pulling out the data stick, he held face up in his palm.

"What is it?" Serena asked as she took the small black device from him.

"Heero said it was for you. Something J thought you might want back."

Serena eyed it carefully before bring her eyes up to meet his. She wasn't sure what could possible be on the drive itselfs, but she had a pretty good idea. "Thanks." She said as she closed her fingers around it. She'd need to investigate it when Trowa wasn't around. Just in case there was some sensitive information on it.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Wednesday! (PS! Why did no one tell me I had the wrong day!? Also that my chapter was missing a title...) I know I'm late updating, especially when I said I would on Sunday. Things have been a little crazy at home. My husband is away for a work related course and that means it's just me and the kiddo. Not to mention last night was Halloween! Happy Halloween! (It's 11:37 pm on OCt 31.. so it's allowed!) I also struggled with this chapter and I wanted to give a shout out to one of my very dear readers! Thank you for letting me talk some things over with you and I hope you enjoyed what I wrote! For whatever reason my head just couldn't figure things out. But I got it done! Just took me longer. :-/ Sorry about that! Also it's a long chapter... again._

 _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'm gonna go to bed now. Have a great night/day!_

 _-MM_


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

Love or Revenge?

The following morning Trowa had to go into the office for a few hours. He had apologized profusely to her. Promising he'd be back as soon as he could. To Serena, it didn't make much of a difference. She'd most likely sleep the whole time. But after he left, she realized it was the perfect opportunity to look at the data stick. There would be enough time, and she didn't have to worry about him looking over her shoulder. Not that he would, but Serena knew he was probably curious as well as to what was on the small device. Even when he didn't voice it.

Getting herself out of bed, she managed to find her footing. For the first time in days she was starting to feel more like herself. Although she didn't think it would take this long to recover. Normally after a day or two she would be back on her feet, running at full speed. This time however, it seemed to be taking longer than she had expected. It was becoming more frustrating with each passing hour. How was she supposed to do anything if she wasn't at her best?

Searching around the apartment she was able to locate her laptop fairly quickly. Trowa had left it on coffee table. Right where she had last used it. It had been over a week since she had fired up the computer. Sitting down, she wrapped a blanket around herself waiting for her login screen appear. Checking the battery life, she was surprised to see it had a full charge. _Must have charged it at some point._ She mused to herself. Logging in, she waited a few minutes before she inserted the flash drive. Did even want to know what was on here? Her fingers moved the cursor to an icon in the lower corner of her screen. Highlight the icon, she saw that there was only one folder available.

Taking a deep breath she clicked on it.

A series of codes filled her screen. She frowned as she stared blankly at them. It was too easy. A child could hack this. It was almost laughable, till she noticed something. One of the lines looked as if there was a glitch in the programming. Her eyes scanned the rest of the coding as her fingers worked to break it. Why was this one line different from the rest of them? Then she realized what the numbers were. They were her own personal code. _Her_ digital footprint. _33582-763_.

Serena froze in her work as a realization came crashing down on her. Heero had said that he asked J for her file. Had read everything, _seen_ everything. Heero had willingly turned over her own file. _But why?_ She thought to herself. Did she even want to relive things? Remember everything she had gone through? She could destroy it all, in that very instant. Whip all the evidence and burn the stick. Bury it deep in the past where it belonged.

Her fingers hovered over the keys, thinking over her options. But the more she stared at the lines of coding the more she wanted to know, know why her code was used. It could easily be overlooked. If Heero had found anything worth bring up that wasn't related to her life, he would've said something, right? But what if he hadn't notice, didn't think twice about those numbers? They meant nothing to him in the grand scheme of things.

Hardening her eyes, she dove back in. Unlocking everything she could before she started looking through everything. There was a reason those numbers were there. There just had to be. Not like Heero would've known what they meant, but J could've simply added them without having them affect the original coding. It was trick he had taught her, but that also meant that J had also taught it to Heero as well.

Once she was done, three files sat in front of her. Two were dated but the third had no date, other than for " _.763"_ as the file's name. Taking another deep breath she opened the first file, dated " _Aug, 23, A.C. 197."_ What was supposed to be her "birth date."

Serena skimmed through the pages, all the information she already knew. Pictures, training logs, test results. Everything was all there. Skipping over J's personal notes about her. She didn't care to know what he thought or felt. It was in the past and those times were over and done with. It didn't matter that there were a few times they had enjoyed each other's company. The times she'd sit down and play his favorite songs on the piano that he had found and brought back to the lab. Older songs from when he had been a child, through his teens and early twenties, as well as some classical ballets. The ones he had made her learn, not because they were his favorites but because he wanted her well round. Or so that's what he used to tell her. He had always enjoyed her rendition of the songs. Sitting in a chair near her as she played. Those were the better times.

J hadn't shared much of his life with her, but there were times when he would sit down and tell her things. Things that he had kept secret for so long. The truth about how he had lost his legs and hand. Why his eyes were damaged. At the time it made her feel guilty that he was able to recreate someone, but he couldn't or wouldn't bother to fix his own problems. He only ever told her that he was old, that his life's work was more important. That she was more important. Why had she been important? She never asked. Just accepted the fact she was who she was. She trained hard, did as he asked and she had been rewarded with the opportunity to explore herself in new ways. Music had become her beacon, a light for her to run to when she felt she wasn't good enough, or when she just wanted to relax. They were also some of her most memorable times with J.

Shaking her head she dispelled the memories of the past. There was no point dwelling on the past.

Once she finished the first folder, she moved on to the second. It was simply dated " _A.C. 198."_ It didn't take a genius to figure out what would be in this one. She didn't need to guess, she had lived through it first hand. But this time she took her time reading through the pages. Skipping the videos and trying not to let the images linger in her mind. But one stood out. She was covered in blood, her clothes torn and her eyes hollow. Her arm and one of her legs twisted into positions no human body should ever be in.

It was the day she self-destructed the cockpit.

She had been severely hurt, but she hadn't died. Or maybe she had, she only remembered what happened after she woke up. J scolding her for being foolish, after Edwards had come down hard on her for destroying the very thing that was supposed to make her _immortal_. She remember laughing at herself afterwards. She had failed to kill him and herself. A Gundam didn't make one immortal, there was no such thing… even if she had faced those odds head on and won. She wasn't. She could die any day, it would be easy. If she had really wanted to, she could've turned the gun on herself, taking her own life. Instead she choose to fire at him, before she was apprehended by some of his guards. Those few days, or maybe it had been a few weeks, went by in a unfocused haze. She barely remembered any of it. It was her lowest point then. She had failed. She never failed… and yet she had.

None of it matter in the end. She was just thrusted into the hands of a new leader. Gavin had stepped up to take command. Any of the other ones who had been in charge of their own units could've, but Gavin was the one to win it out. It was frustrating that there were so many of them, but at the end of the day Edwards always had the final say, till Gavin came into the picture. The only thing Gavin did that was smart, was removing her. She'd most likely would've went after him, but to send her away, _locked away_ , somewhere was the perfect plan. She was less of a threat if she couldn't do anything. And when she had to see anyone, they were always armed and she figured out quickly that it wasn't worth trying anything. They were covering their bases with her.

Serena tried not to dwell any longer on the photo, instead she focused on finishing the last few pages. J had kept his notes short and to the point. Nothing seemed amiss with what J had stated. His reports and test results from her experience with the ZERO system were accurate, from what she remembered. Her whole life, however short it was, was all there. At least the gist of it. There was more, but did anyone really need to know all the other terrible things she had done? All the men she was sent to watch over. All the ones she had killed after spending the night with them. The woman and families that were involved in some form that she had carelessly thrown away. No, no one needed to know, and she'd rather not remember those people. They were nameless faces to her now, but it didn't make the feelings she had about them go away. They were people, some regular everyday people with no political power, or of wealth. They were just people who had turned away from ROE that needed disposing of. That was one of her jobs. To kill those who abandoned their positions within the organization.

Lowering her head, she felt guilt wash over her. She had ruined so many lives. Had killed so many, even before she was revealed to the world. If she had stayed, the Gundam would've been completed and she would be piloting it towards Earth. Destroying anyone who stood in her way. People like the ones she had learned so much about before she even met them. Duo, Heero, Quatre, Wufei. She knew so much about them and in a small way she had allowed them to get to know who she was. And the girls. Catherine, Hilde and Relena. Even Dorothy. She had learned so much about them. Relena she knew, but not on the level she did now. Was is too much to say that she had grown close to the other woman? And what about Catherine? She had only spent a weekend with her, but Catherine had accepted her with open arms and had even shared a few things with her. Was this what it was like to have friends? To have people close to you that you could trust and share things with.

Then there was Trowa… He had always been the most interesting to her. For some reason she had always wanted to know more about him. But the chances of her ever meeting him were slim at best. So when she had first seen him, that night in Russia, she had been shocked. Kneeling in front of her, his expression was one of surprise and confusion. She remembered it so clearly. Those green eyes taking her in. How many times had she dreamed about meeting him? Then the world around her went black, only to wake up to find him sitting next to her...

Everything seemed like a lifetime ago, but in actuality it wasn't. She had learned so much about them, and she had also grown to care for them. Could she live with herself if these very people were hurt or killed because she failed to stop ROE? Even when she was once going to be the very killer that would end everything, but not anymore. She couldn't, wouldn't be the one to pull the trigger. Not after everything. Not after _him_.

Serena closed the folder. She need to refocus. Checking the time she knew she didn't have long before Trowa would return. He had messaged her some time ago letting her know he wouldn't be much longer. Taking another breath, she clicked on the last folder.

" _.763"_

Serena felt like she had stopped breathing the moment the folder opened. Her hand hovering over the touchpad. It was her Gundam. The blueprints along with the weapon detail. How was this possible? These were destroyed after Edwards had approved the design. He had J sectioned off each part before sending them off to the engineers. None of it made sense. Serena clicked through the pages, they were the exact design she had recreated for Une. Down to every last detail. She knew her memory was good, but why would J include this? It wasn't until she landed on the last page.

One last attempt.

One last opportunity.

One last mission.

It was all there. The Gundam had been completed a mere two weeks ago. That's why they wanted her back, they needed someone to pilot it. Needed _her_ to pilot it. The only thing missing were the coordinates to where it was. But J had told her that when the time came, she knew how to get in touch with him. Unconsciously she reached up, touching the back of her neck. Her fingers grazing the bandage. Was he giving her a choice? The way he had worded his message left room for a variety of conclusions. She could bring this to Une's attention and go from there. Or she could tell Heero and see what his thoughts were. Or... she could keep it to herself.

If she went to Preventers there was a risk they'd could be injured if she sought out the Gundam. But they needed it to stop ROE. Was it worth the risk? If she kept this information to herself, she could find a way to leave. Prevent them from following her and steal the Gundam herself. Minimal risk was involved when it came to the others. She wouldn't be putting their lives on the line. Worse case she could return to Gavin, make up some story and wait to strike back. She could blow the whole place up, along with herself. Maybe she'd get lucky and find out where Edwards was hiding…

But what would it do to Trowa if she left? Would he be upset, or understand? Could she leave him?

She had gotten to know him on a deeper level. He was kind, gently, willing to do anything and everything for her. He was intelligent. Although she already knew that. But to hear him speak was almost memorizing. She couldn't have ever pictured what it would've been like to talk to him till she finally got the chance. In the words of Duo, he had everything and more. And he wasn't wrong. Trowa was incredible to her. She thought so highly of him and trusted him. _Trust._ Serena paused in her thoughts. She trusted him with her life and he trusted her with his. She had never given anyone that kind of power, not on this level. She trusted Heero, even if he had decided to end her life when they first met. She'd never tell him, but she always trusted him. Knew she could turn to him. She just wished it hadn't taken him so long to see that.

Her breath hitched as her hand came up to her mouth. A wave of emotions washing over her the more she thought about things. Thought about what Trowa meant to her. Everything finally clicking into place. Then fear washed over her. Was she really in...

Serena's head shot up, as she slammed her laptop shut. The door to the apartment opened before closing. Turning her head, she saw Trowa smiling at her as he walked towards the couch. Sitting down next to her, he reach his hand out cupping her face. His smile grew wider as he leaned in to kiss her. Pulling away she stared up into his soft green eyes.

What was she going to do now?

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy It's still Hump Day! (Happy Thursday for those of you reading this on Nov, 2. :D )_

 _This was a short chapter, as I wrote it one day. Yes that's right, I wrote this all today. I'm crazy enough to attempt NaNo, though I will not be writing a novel. I will be working on TC and the other thing that's consumed some of my time. But anyway, I figured since I took so long updating the last time, that I'd spoil you all with a double. Please don't not expect chapters to roll out in doubles like this. I just happened to write it and I felt it's perfect on it's own as a chapter. Yes this was an all Serena chapter, but hopefully you got a little more insight into her and also.. is she finally in... ;) with Trowa? We'll have to see. Also um, come again? The Gundam is finished? Oh boy... this is not looking good for our favorite pilots. Lets just hope Serena picks love over revenge! OR there might be a war... *shrugs shoulders*_

 _Alright! Have a great day guys and I'll see you soon!_

 _-MM_


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty-Nine**

Saying Goodbye is Never Easy

Heero had become overly obnoxious with his persistent phone calls and visits. The day Trowa had given her phone back, Heero had been bombarding with calls. Claiming to be just checking. He had been calling almost _hourly_. She wished at one point that she hadn't gotten her phone back in the first place. The device becoming her newest nemesis. Relena had sent her a few messages, but other than that, she had kept her distance. Mostly likely because of Heero. When she had thought about asking Trowa to handle the calls she realized that he had problem been subjected to the same torture she was enduring now.

 _Is this what he's really like with Relena?_ She had thought to herself after the sixth call that first day.

The day she had viewed the flash drive, Heero had stopped by a while on his way back home. Which was in the opposite direction of Trowa's apartment. She hadn't said anything about it. He seemed happy to see her in the living room rather than the bedroom. She knew he was trying. He didn't have to say that he felt guilty for everything that had happened between them. It was clearly written on his face every time she saw him. She didn't want his pity. It's wasn't like he could change things. Go back in time and prevent everything. But what did she want from him? Acceptance?

Her mind had continued to race with her options. She thought she had come to a decision, but it didn't help that every time Trowa sat down next to her, be it the couch or bed, he'd wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. With every tender look he gave her. Every soft kiss he'd place on her lips, made her decision that much harder. Didn't he know what he was doing to her?

Serena had even tried to go back to a normal routine with him. Showering in the morning with him. Making his coffee, along with a few meals. She didn't try and push it, for the sake of hiding that she was completely back to normal. Like a light switch being turned on, she awoke one morning, feeling like herself again.

At first she had been angry. Angry that it had _lasted_ this long. She should've been recovered days ago. But then she slowly let the anger go. There was no point in staying mad. If anything it prolonged her time. Prolonged her time with _him._

Getting out of bed Thursday morning, she felt Trowa grab her arm, stopping her. Turning her head, she glanced at him from over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're alright going in today?" A slight crease in his brow showing his concern. Even though his voice had been calm and smooth.

"Yeah, I'm fine." _Lair._ She was fine physically. Mentality though, that was yet to be determined. "Shower?" The meeting wasn't until eight-thirty, but it was already after seven. They'd needed to shower and get ready before heading to HQ.

"Sure." Trowa smiled softly at her before throwing the sheets off himself, relieving the dark green boxers he had spelt in the night before. They hadn't been physical with each other since her return. Even though she had been up for it the night before, she didn't bother to ask.

Serena tried not to let her mind wander too much as they showered. With every brush of his fingers, it reminded her where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. Focusing on relaxing her body and mind. She needed to be present. Need to prepare. Today was important and she couldn't be spacing out.

Trowa brushed a few kisses to her shoulder, murmuring that they needed to get out and get ready. Once out of the shower, Serena tried to busy herself. Drying her hair with a towel as best she could before she finished getting ready. She hadn't noticed that she was glaring at her own reflection till Trowa said something to her. She was losing it and she knew it was starting to show. Her facade was cracking, little by little.

"I just don't want people fussing over me when we get there." Serena turned her head away from him to look back in the mirror.

"You mean Heero?"

"Especially him." The last thing she wanted was him to be questioning if she was really feeling better and if she should be at the meeting.

"He won't." Trowa said calmly. "Remember, we're going to be at work." The corners of his mouth turning up.

"Like that's ever stopped him before." Serena rolled her eyes before turning to leave the bathroom. "C'mon Barton, we gotta leave soon." She tossed over her shoulder. She wondered how long she could fool herself into believing it was that easy. Easy to pretend that there was _nothing_ wrong.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in one of the conference rooms at HQ. They were currently waiting for Trowa and Serena to arrive. Une had been pleased to find out that Serena was feeling better and was able to attend, but she wanted to make sure no one saw her enter the building so she requested that Trowa wait to bring her up. Especially after the last incident. Une want them to go over their options as what they should and needed to do to take down ROE. They had arrested all the people of interest that they could, but it still left them with little to nothing to go on. Serena had and was still their only lead.

Now that the air had been cleared about Serena, Une decided to put things aside as Serena had been working alongside them. Doing whatever she was asked to do. While Une wasn't happy with the fact Serena hadn't come out and informad them about the microchip, she ended up given Serena the benefit of the doubt. Now wasn't the time to be punishing her, especially with ROE knowing where she was. If they wanted her back, they would send more members of their organization to get her. Une had been quick to agree with Heero that they needed to try and protect Serena at all cost, while also protecting the members of the ESUN. If ROE was planning to attack, it would most likely be sometime soon, which is why they needed to come up with their own plan.

Une had been lost in her own thoughts when the door to the conference room opened. Trowa and Serena stepping through into the conference room. She glanced up in time to see Duo stand, making his way over to them before enveloping Serena in a hug. One that didn't seem to go over too well with her. Serena gave him a small pat on the back before: in Une's option, eased him back gently. Once Duo moved away Serena took the open seat next to Heero. Trowa sitting down next to her and to the right of Wufei. Duo had retaken his spot to the right of Heero.

Une watched the exchanges continue. Heero had leaned closer to Serena, speaking quietly with her, before returning his attention to his laptop that was set up in front of him on the table. Wufei greeted her from his seat, Serena offering him a small smile in return. Once everyone was settled Une cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the group.

"Lowell, it's good to see that you're doing well, and thank you for coming in today." Serena gave her a curt nod. "I've requested you all here today to go over what information we have on ROE as well as formulate a plan. Unfortunately, Lowell is still our insight into this organization and with recent events, I fear that time is of the essence now." Une paused, glancing around the room before continuing.

"We're well aware that ROE now, in fact knows where Serena is. With that comes the threat of them returning to try and take her back. We may have to make a move sooner rather than later because of this. With that being said…" Une stopped abruptly when an incoming call came through on her laptop. Looking down at the screen, she frowned when she didn't recognize the number.

Serena narrowed her eyes as she stared at the head of Preventers. "What is it?" She knew there was a video call from in, but from the look on Une's face she could tell that the other woman was confused. Standing up from her seat, Serena walked around the table to where Une was seated. Looking down at the screen she knew exactly who it was. "It's him."

Une's head snapped up to look at her. "Who?"

"Edwards. That's his personal line." Serena stated calmly. Une's face paled slightly before her features hardened.

"Are you sure?"

"I set the line up myself." Serena turned her head to face Une. " It's him." Serena's own face hardened as she moved slightly out of view. "Answer it."

Une thought it over before glancing at Heero. "Heero, trace the call. _Now."_ Heero didn't like this. Something was wrong with the whole situation. But he did as he was asked as his fingers started to fly over the keys of his laptop.

"Have the call displayed on the projection screen." Serena said before Une answered the call. Une hit a few keys before a man in his mid to late forties appeared on the screen behind her. She glance at Serena who had stepped father out of view. Her eyes firmly locked on the man.

"Commander Une. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." Edwards smiled as he clasped his hands together. "I was hoping we could discuss an issue that has come to my attention."

Une narrowed her eyes. "To whom am I speaking with?" Edwards laughed before responding.

"My name is Edwards, Jonathan Edwards." Une glanced at Serena. Her face was masked, but she nodded her head in confirmation. Heero felt his skin start to prickle, but he continued to focus on the task at hand.

"How may I help you?" Une kept her tone neutral. "And you do realize whom _you_ are calling, correct?"

"Why yes, I am aware of _who_ I am contacting. I've learned recently that you have been hiding something that belongs to me. Something very important. I only wish for the return of my property."

Heero gritted his teeth. He had stopped working on trying to trace the call with Edwards last words. He knew exactly what Edwards was talking about. He could feel his blood starting to boil. Taking a chance he glanced at the screen mounted on the wall. This was the man who was responsible for all the horrible things that had been done to Serena. Most of it done by his own hands.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Une tried to stay calm, but stern in her approach towards this man.

"Ah, but you do. I have it on good word that you have someone there. I do hope you have been treating her well. It'd be a shame to find out that she was being mistreated by Preventers. I wonder what the President would have to say about this?"

Heero glanced at Serena. She had closed her eyes, her hands were balled at her sides. He glanced back at the man on the screen. Short brown hair with hints of gray. His brown eyes boring down on them as his smile flattered for a moment. It was then that Heero noticed that Serena had moved into view.

"Ah, there's my girl." Edwards's smiled returned. A sinister smile in Heero's opinion.

"Miss me?" Serena said as she stood next to Une.

"Of course I do, you should know that better anyone. You should be with me, where it's safer." The hairs on the back of Heero's neck stood on end. The way Edwards spoke to Serena, making his stomach twist. He sounded caring, like he was relieved to see her. But it was all a lie.

"That's such a shame," Serena started as leaned in closer. "I rather like it here." Her lips curling up into a wicked smile.

Edwards narrowed his eyes. "You shouldn't be thinking such things. They'll only filling your head with lies."

"Oh? Like you?" Serena tightened her eyes. "Don't look so sour about it, Edwards. You knew something like this would eventually happen. Can't keep me all to yourself."

"Delta, I want you to return ASAP." Edwards commanded in a low growl.

"No."

"What was that?" Edwards leaned forward in his seat. "You _will_ return to me."

Serena moved to angle the laptop so that the focus would be solely on her. Slipping her jacket off, she tossed it onto the table before leaning forward again. The v-neck t-shirt hanging dangerously low. "I want to hear you beg for me to come back." She smiled wickedly at him.

"Beg?" Edwards growled.

"Oh, is someone's ego too big? Can't beg for _his toy_ to come home." Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "Too much for you to handle?"

"You know it _doesn't_ work like this."

"No" Serena hardened her face. "You should know how _I_ work."

"It seems your time there has put inexcusable thoughts in your head." Edwards mirror her expression.

"Has it? Isn't this how you've _always_ wanted me to be? Perfect in every way?"

"Enough. You will return to me."

"No." Serena said more sternly. "Paybacks a bitch Edwards, and you know how much I love to bite." Serena smiled wickedly.

"What did you _say_ to me!?"

"Don't be so bitter. You made me this way. Too bad you'll never get me back." Serena's smile as sinister as Edwards had been.

"You'll regret that." Edwards said before the screen went black. The connect severed.

"What the hell was that?" Heero growled from his seat. He was beyond furious with her. She had just not only put herself in jeopardy but possibly their whole agency. What was she thinking? "Are _you_ out of your mind!?" Serena only glanced at him, as she made her way back to her seat.

Duo looked around the room at everyone's stunned faces. All expect Heero's who looked like he was about to start his own fight with Serena. No one else had said a word as Serena grabbed her jacket before she threw it back on.

"Um?" Duo said, looking around confused still.

"What?" Serena asked as she glanced at him.

"What!?" Duo looked utterly shocked by her calm and collected posture. "You do realize that you probably just started a war right? That guy means business and we don't know shit about him. I get that you're some badass chick Rena, but seriously… that was…"

"That wasn't Edwards." Serena said, cutting him off.

"What!?" Duo stood from his chair. "I thought you said that was Edwards!?"

"It was but it wasn't. None of you noticed?" Serena glanced around the room. When none responded, she elaborated. "That was a hologram. It flickered in the beginning." Serena threw a thumb behind her. "He's not stupid enough to call in person, nor will he try and come here. Especially after the last attempt."

"How can you be so sure?" Une questioned her.

"I know him well enough…" Serena trailed off. "What I can say is that he's probably preparing to make some kind of a move since he's trying to lure me out of hiding. Like I said before, he can't do anything without me. With or without the chip he'll still need me to pilot my suit if it's completed."

"What do you think we should do then?" Trowa finally spoke. Serena turned her head to him. Soft but firm eyes staring back at her. Her heart did a flip as she took in a small breath.

"We come up with our own plan like Une said." Serena looked around the room. Everyone's face had gone into their own masks. She caught a hint of anger from Heero and she knew that he'd be speaking with her later.

"We can't let them get to you, Serena." Trowa said.

"Then we won't let them." A smile forming on her lips as she turned back to him.

* * *

After the meeting, Trowa took Serena back to the apartment. They had a half decent plan in place, though he could tell from Heero's domener and Serena's that it wasn't enough. They had agreed to meet again the following day, as everyone had to return to other duties. Heero wanted Serena to stop by and see Sally but she claimed to be fine. After Trowa let them argue for a few minutes it was decided that Serena would see her before their next meeting. Heero wasn't thrilled over the idea, but in the end he agreed.

Driving back to the apartment Trowa noticed a change in Serena. She seemed tense as she kept her gaze locked out the window. He thought about saying something to her, but decided against it. The meeting had been stressful enough and at the end he was pretty sure that she just wanted go back home. When they arrive back at the apartment, Trowa went inside with her. Something nagging at him to make sure she was alright. Opening the door, he let her through first. She walked past him taking off her jacket in the process before throwing it over one of the chairs in the dining room.

Shutting the door behind them, he kept his eyes on her as she stood between the livingroom and kitchen. Her head was down, hair falling about her face. She seemed like she was worlds away. Her head was down, hair falling around her face. Lost in thought. When they entered the apartment she had dropped her stuff on the dining room table, throwing her coat over a chair.

Shrugging out of his own coat, he continued to watch her. His concern was growing as the minutes ticked by. Clutching his coat in his hand, he took a few steps closer to her.

"Serena?" Worry lacing his voice. Slowly she lifted her head, turning herself to face him. Her face appeared normal, but the clouded look in her eyes told a different story.

In two long strides he was standing in front of her. As he reached out to touch her, she lifted her head higher, staring into his eyes. Before he could do anything, she flung her arms around his neck, pulling his head down into a rough kiss. Trowa froze at first before slowly closing his eyes. His coat falling to the floor as his hands moved on their own accord to grab her waist, pulling her closer. Her kisses becoming more desperate as she slide her hands down his chest to the hem of his shirt, giving it a sharp tug.

Trowa broke away long enough to pull the white t-shirt he had on over his head, throwing it carelessly to the floor. Grabbing her shirt, he lifted it up over and over her head, adding it to his already discarded shirt. Their mouths meeting once again in an intense battle. Each fighting to win the war on who was more domante.

Serena slid her hands over his bare chest, slowly and torturously moving her fingers along every muscle. When her fingers grazed his stomach, he sucked in a breath as his his muscles contracted under her touch. Smirking against his lips, she moved her hands further down to the top of his pants. Making quick work of his belt, she pushed down on the them. Causing them to pool around his ankles. Kicking his shoes off, he stepped out of his pants, kicking them to the side. Never once breaking their kiss.

Moving his hands back to her to roam, he made his way down to her waist. Unbuttoning her pants, he pushed them over her hips, letting his fingers linger against her skin. He felt her kick off her own shoes, before adding her pants to their growing pile on the floor.

Letting his hands begin to roam again, he remember how soft but soft her body was. It had been days since they made love and though he had wanted to, he didn't want to hurt her while she was recovering. He had missed being so intimate with her. The way she felt in his arms, fitting perfectly against him. Her lips just as soft as her skin. No other woman would ever come close to her.

Pushing her backwards they slowly began to move. His hands slid up her back to the clasp of her bra. In one fluid motion, he slid the garment off her body. Tossing it behind them. Once the item was removed, he slid one of his hands up to cup her breast, modeling the soft tissue as his other pressed against her lower back. Just above the lace of her underwear. Smiling against her mouth as a soft moan escaped past her parted lips.

Trowa was about to move his head to capture one of her breast in his mouth when Serena pulled away, breaking their contact. She looked up into his eyes. Deep blue eyes filled with lust before he saw the smirk form on her lips. Grabbing his hand, she pulled it away from her chest. Biting her lips, she placed her other hand on his chest as she took a step closer to him. Keeping her eyes locked with him, she slowly lowered herself.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he felt her pressing herself against him as she made her way down onto the floor. He opened his eyes in time to see her staring up at him as her fingers curled around the waistband of his boxers. Sliding them over his hips till the material fell to his feet. Never once breaking eye contact. Trowa sucked in a breath as her hand wrapped around him, her touch slowly torturing him as her mouth joined her hand. Shutting his eyes tightly, he lifted his head as his hands moved to tangle in her hair. Guiding her movements.

Minutes passed and he knew that if she kept going he wouldn't last. Reluctantly he opened his eyes as he pulled himself away from her. Her mouth releasing him as she peered up at him. The questioning look she sent him seemed so innocent. Even though she was anything but. Slowly she stood, her hands sliding up his body as his hands moved from her shoulders down her back to rest on her hips. He linked his fingers in the lace fabric before slowly pushing her underwear down over her hips till the fell to the floor. She stepped backwards out of them, as he stepped out of his boxers. Her hands reaching out to him.

Without a second thought, he grabbed her by the waist as he crushed his lips to hers. He directed her towards the couch as their hands began to roam once again. Feeling everything they could touch, leaving goosebumps in their wake. When they made it over to the couch, he was about to lower them when Serena quickly spun them, causing him to fall. Their contact was momentary broken as he landed sitting straight up.

Trowa stared up into midnight blue eyes. Her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. He could feel his own heart start to pound as her lips curled up. She lowered herself to straddle him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her eyes clouded with lust before she leaned in capturing his mouth while she slowly slid onto him. He felt a deep rumbled in the back of his throat as their body joined together. She felt like heaven, no she _was_ heaven.

His hands reached up, as he took ahold of her waist when she slowly began to rock her hips. She started her pace out slow. Trowa thought she was slowly trying to kill him through pleasure. With every rock of her hips, a new wave of sensation washed over him. She pulled her head away, breaking their kissing as she breathed heavily. Her eyes half lidded as she licked her lips.

Serena kept the pace slowly growing. Her back arching as her head titled back. She was beautiful then. Trowa watched memorized as she lifted her body before coming back down. It wasn't long before his grip tighten on her waist. Guiding them both as he moved his own hips. Her head coming down to rest against his shoulders as she placed her hands on either side of his head. Lifting her body to accommodate his thrusts.

It wasn't was long before their movements became frantic. The need for release growing fast. Trowa threw his head back as Serena met each thrust with her own. His own chest heaving from the effort. With a few more rocks of their hips, pleasure consumed them. Serena buried her head into his shoulder as he kept his head back against the couch. Their cries sounding together.

Slowly as their bodies came down, Trowa wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer. He didn't want her to move. He wanted to keep them together for as long as he could. Placing a kiss to her shoulder, he watched her breathing, knowing his was just as labored.

After a few minutes Serena slowly pushed herself up. His arms loosening as she placed her hands lightly on either side of his head. She lowered her own head to kiss him gently, a tender kiss. Nothing like what they had been doing moments ago.

Pulling away, he stared into her eyes. She was so beautiful _._ How had he gotten so lucky to have a woman like her in his life? Slowly he let out a breath. The words flowing freely. "I love you."

The lust that had once been in those deep blue orbs slowly faded, being replaced by something else. Sorrow? She smiled sadly at him and Trowa felt panic start to build inside of himself. Something was wrong. He was about to ask her if she was okay when she spoke first.

"I'm sorry..."

"What?"

Serena leaned down to kiss him again, but her lips never met his. The last thing he felt was pressure to his neck before everything went black.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Saturday!_

 _How do I put this other than, holy shit!? What just happened!? If any of you were on the edge of your seats waiting, knowing that something was going to happen, then I've done my job and have done it well! To be honest, writing this chapter had me on edge. You may also thank NaNo for the fact I've been writing every day and we're only four days into the month. Woot woot! That is also why I couldn't help but post this chapter as soon as I finished editing it. Shit's about to get real. There's no other way to put it. So let me here your thoughts, and opinions. Were you expecting any of this? How do you feel about the possible decision Serena has made? Was it the right one, or has she not only doomed herself, but everyone else? (You'll find out soon btw.)_

 _Also, I am well aware that Trowa and Serena's scene was more detailed than Heero and Relena's. With that being said, I am currently working on adding more details to it and if you wish to view the revised copy of the scene, just PM me and once it's finished I'll send it. I'd add it to the chapter but that chapter is already at almost 5k for words and for now I'm going to keep it as it is. When I go back through the whole story and split up more chapters I will be adding it in then._

 _Thank you all for reading and I hope you have a great weekend and stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _-MM_


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Fifty**

Love Can Be Curl

Loud banging coming from somewhere in the room brought Trowa out of his haze. Glancing around he found himself lying on the couch. A blanket covering his body. He couldn't remember what had happened or why he was on the couch to begin with. Slowly he pushed back the blanket, noticing that he wasn't wearing any clothes.

Then everything came rushing back to him.

Panic started to set in. Standing up he quickly looked around. But he didn't see Serena anywhere. Where was she? The banging on the door brought him back from his thoughts. Locating his boxers on the floor, he reached down throwing them on as he rushed to the door. Flinging it open he was met by violet eyes and a long braid.

"Where the _hell_ have you been!?" Duo practically yelled. Anger showing on his face.

"What?" Trowa stared blankly at him. Why was Duo here?

"We've been trying to get a hold of you for hours! We even tried calling Serena!" Duo threw up his arms.

"What do you mean you've been calling for hours?"

"Dude, we got hacked! Une's going crazy. Heero, Wufei and myself have been trying to secure as many files as possible while trying to stop whoever got into our system. We've been calling you guys for backup!" Duo placed his hands on his hips. "So where the _hell_ have you been and why haven't either of you answered or bothered to call back!?"

Trowa continued to stare blankly at Duo. Had he been out for that long? Someone hacked into HQ and was stealing files? What the hell was going on? And where the hell was Serena!?

Duo watched as Trowa took on a far away look. Huffing to himself, this wasn't the time for Trowa to not be with it. Then he looked past him. Clothes were thrown about the floor. Turning back to him, he noticed that Trowa only had on a pair of boxers.

"Um, whats going on _here?_ " Duo asked, lifting a brow.

Trowa shook his head. "What?"

"Dude, you're dressed in only your boxers and your clothes are lying all over your floor. What the fuck happened here?"

Trowa turned his head to look at the floor. His clothes were the only one's he saw. _Her clothes_ were missing from the pile. As his eyes roamed the room he noticed a cellphone with a note lying under it on the kitchen island. Turning on his heel, he made his way over to the phone.

"What the hell man?" Duo said stepping into the apartment, shutting the door. "Trowa what's going on? And where's Serena?"

Trowa picked up the cellphone, seeing several missed calls from Heero and Duo. Putting the phone to the side he picked up the piece of paper. Only two words were written on it in neat handwriting. " _I'm sorry."_ It was her handwriting.

"Trowa?" Duo's voice sounded with worry. "Is something wrong?"

"She's gone..."

"What?"

"She's gone..."

"What are you talking about?" Trowa turned his head to Duo. His eye swam with sadness, before slowly fading to anger.

"She fucking left!" Trowa crumpled the note in his hand.

"I don't understand?" Duo said confused.

"Can't you see!?" Trowa threw his arms up. "She fucking left, she's not here and she left her cellphone."

"I'm sure there's a good explanation for that. Maybe she saw us calling and went straight to HQ? I could of passed her on my way..."

"Then why would she say that she was sorry!?" Trowa cut him off, holding up the crumpled note. "She's exactly like Yuy! Just up's and leaves when things get to be too much." Trowa threw the note to the floor. Running his hands through his hair. "I thought she was different, but when it comes to emotions I guess some things can't be changed. She was made from Heero and made to be just like him. I can't fucking believe this…" Trowa walked off grabbing his clothes, throwing them back on.

"Whoa, Trowa… I don't know what happened between you two but I'm sure..."

Trowa threw his head up, glaring at Duo. "We slept together and after she knocked me out. Why do you think I _didn't_ get your fucking calls!?"

Duo's jaw fell open. "You what!?"

"We fucking slept together! Do I need to repeat myself again!?" Trowa's anger was building. He couldn't believe what she had done. Especially to him.

"Holy shit..." Duo's mouth still hanging open.

"Yeah." Trowa said nothing more as he pulled his shirt back over his head. "Are you ready to go?"

Duo shook his head "What? Huh? I'm sorry I'm still trying to process what's going on here."

"There's _nothing_ to figure out here. I shouldn't have trusted her." _Shouldn't have trusted her with my heart._

Trowa grabbed his coat before he went into the kitchen to grab one of his spare guns. When he opened the cabinet he saw that it was missing. "That bitch..." Trowa muttered under his breath before slamming the cabinet shut. Turning on his heel, he walked to door before throwing it open.

Duo watched as Trowa stormed out of the apartment. Shit was going on everywhere. HQ was a mess and now Serena and Trowa. He could understand Trowa being upset, but a part of him felt like Serena didn't do it to intentionally hurt him. It didn't seem like something she would do. Something else had to be going on. He took one last look around the apartment. Spotting Serena's cell phone he grabbed it, pocketing it as he walked to the door. Closing the door, he checked to make sure it was locked before taking off down the hallway after Trowa.

* * *

Serena sat back in her seat. The coordinates already programmed into the shuttle before she turned on the autopilot. Her heart was still racing from earlier and she knew she needed to collect herself before she arrived at her destination. Closing her eyes she took a few deep breaths.

Confused green eyes staring back at from under her lids.

Opening her eyes she realized it would be pointless. Her chest ached. Arched with a pain she had never felt before. It had started even before Trowa's body fell against hers. She had been careful to not hurt him. Physically at least. Emotionally, she knew she had hurt him. The damage was already done and she couldn't go back and change it now. She had made her decision. One she had to live with now.

After she had laid him down on the couch, covering him with a blanket. She had placed a kiss to his forehead before grabbing her clothes and making her way into the bedroom. Throwing them on as quickly as she could while she searched for her laptop.

* * *

 _Serena's breath hitched as she tried to control herself. Pain. She felt so much pain. Her heart was pounding as she typed the number that would connect her to space. She waited for the other person to pick up. Once the connection was made, she tried to conceal herself from his prying eyes._

" _Serena, what a pleasant surprise to see you calling me so soon." J smiled at her._

" _Yeah." Serena turned her head away. Was she doing the right thing?_

" _What can I do for you my dear?"_

 _Taking a deep breath, Serena turned her head back to look at the screen. "Where is it?" J's lips curling up._

" _So you've decided?"_

" _What choice do I have?"_

" _You have plenty." J frowned as Serena's face took on a pained expression._

" _Just tell me where it is..."_

* * *

Serena had been staring out the windshield of the shuttle she had obtained. So far her plan had been going flawlessly. Everything was falling into place. Taking a chance she glanced at her computer that she had set up next to her in the copilot's chair. Her virus was working it's way through the system. She just hoped that it would buy her enough time and that no one would find out it was her who had sent it.

She couldn't risk having any of them injured because of what she had failed to do the first time. This was her battle and her battle alone. She'd go, meet with Gavin. Inform him that she was able to escape Preventers and return to them. Convince him that she was still the same, still the same _Delta_ she had been before. MAybe then she could find out if and where Edwards was. She could kill Gavin and blow up the base, then go after him. The worst would be that she died while trying. She knew she'd need a backup plan. To ensure if something should happen to her that Edwards would be taken down. She'd come up with something, but for now she couldn't think about anything but Trowa.

 _Am I doing the right thing?_

Serena hardened her eyes as she approached the base.

 _If I don't do this, he won't have a future._

Shaking her head she tried to dispel the thoughts. She needed to focus.

 _He's better off without me._

Sucking in a sharp breath, she felt a stab of pain run through her chest.

 _I have to do this…_

Taking control of the shuttle again, she guided it towards the docking bay. Schooling her face, she banished all thoughts from her mind.

 _One last mission. One last opportunity to end it all._

* * *

Once Duo and Trowa arrived back at Preventers, they made thier through the building heading back to the conference room they had been in earlier that day. It had become their main command center while they worked to stop whoever had infiltrated their network. They, being Duo, Heero and Wufei agreed that being in a room without distractions would be more beneficial than running around the building with their heads cut of off. But that was mainly Duo's opinion. Une told them that she didn't care as long as they stopped whoever it was and fixed the security network. She had take off some times after that to call the President and inform him of the situations as well as check on other departments as they locked down their own systems as well as aided in the help to stop the intruder.

Duo had gone over what was happening on their ride back, but Trowa could've cared less. His mind still reeling from what Serena had done. She was gone, just up and left him. He couldn't make sense of it. The only thing he knew was that he was angry, angry with her. She had ripped his heart out and stomped all over it. He had been so foolish to think she could be different. Different than any other woman he had ever met. But those deep blue eyes of her had only lied to him in the end. But he also knew that they'd always haunt him. She had stolen a piece of him and run off with it. A piece he'd never get back.

When they entered the conference room, Wufei was the first to glance up from his laptop. "Nice of you to finally join us, Barton." Wufei said sarcastically before returning his eyes back to his screen.

"Where's Serena?" Heero questioned. His eyes never leaving his own screen.

"She left." Was all Trowa said as he sat down in an empty chair.

"What!?" Heero's head snapped up. Wufei stopped typing to look up. Trowa's face set in a hard expression.

"She left." He repeated bitterly.

"What do you mean _she left_? Where did she go?" Heero sent a glare in Trowa's direction. Duo had been standing just off to the side, watching the exchange. He had a bad feeling about all of this. Things we're going to end well.

"I don't know." Trowa glared back at Heero.

Heero was about to say something when his laptop started beeping. Turning his attention back to it, he saw an incoming video call from an encrypted number. His features hardened as he accepted the call. A old man with long white hair and two round glass eyes greeted him.

"J…" Heero said in a low growl. At the sound of J's name, everyone moved to stand closer to Heero. Wufei glanced to Duo who only shrugged his shoulders while Trowa kept his scowl set on his face.

"Ah, there you are my boy. I was wondering if you'd answer." A smirk forming on his lips.

"What do you want?" Heero seethed through his teeth.

"Have I taught you nothing about how to address your elders?" J replied.

"I don't have time for this. What the hell do you want?" His jaw clenching. Sighing, J's face fell.

"I feel one of my experiments may of gone rogue."

"What?"

"Delta… I think she's gone rogue."

"What do you mean?" Heero's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.

"She came looking for something then left once she had the information. I asked her if Preventers were aware of her plans, but she said she would be handling it herself."

Trowa's anger boiled over. She had left _him_. And for what? Pushing Heero out of the way, Trowa addressed J. "What the hell does she plan to do?" Anger seeping in each word.

J lifted an eyebrow at Trowa. He didn't know him personally, but he knew enough about the young man. "Does it matter what she plans to do?" Trowa could only glare at the older man.

"She fucking left to go see you, so tell me what the fuck she's planning on doing!?"

J looked at Trowa for a moment before a small smirk appeared on his lips. "Ah, she got to you didn't she?"

"What!?" Trowa's eyes grew wide.

J knew the look in the young man's eyes all too well. He was hurting. Serena had done a number on him. "Tell me something. Was she good?" Chuckling as he spoke.

"What!?" Trowa's voice rose. Heero eyes narrowed as he looked at Trowa.

Laughing more loudly J continued on. "You had a relationship with her correct? Was she everything you hoped she be?"

Trowa's eyes went wide for a second before narrowing his eyes into tight green slit. His jaw set as he stared at J. Duo and Wufei exchanged glances with each other. Wufei's eyes were wide before turning back to Trowa and Heero. He had a bad feeling about this and from the look Duo gave him, he was feeling the same way.

"Well was she? From what I understand she's quite good. Though I do have to say I had a hand in training her to be."

"You bastard…" Trowa's hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

J held up his claw hand, a smirk on his lips. "I never had an _intimate_ relationship with her. At least in that context. I simply trained her to use her body in anyway necessary to complete a mission." Trowa continued to glare at J. "I'm sure you knew when you were with her that it wasn't her first time. She has had many others before you."

"You asshole. You had her sleeping with people!?" Trowa finally found his voice again. "For what? Some fucking _mission_ of yours!?" Trowa yelled.

"Whatever gets the job done my boy. She was a talented young girl. Such a shame. I tried to warn her, but just like Heero there, she didn't listen." J said point to Heero. "Though I suppose it's a shame for you as well. You fell for a girl you could never have. I do hope she was of some good use to you."

Heero lost it then. His anger finally getting the better of him. He had stayed quiet, looked the other way, trying to keep his anger under control, but to no avail. He knew, deep down that something was going on between them.

"You slept with her!?" Heero looked directly at Trowa. His jaw clenching while his fists were balled together so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"What does it matter to you if I spelt with her or not?" Trowa shot back. His eyes glaring daggers at him.

It was all Heero needed for confirmation. He launched himself out of his chair throwing his right fist straight into Trowa's jaw. The blow sending him staggering backwards. Trowa's hand automatically shot up to his jaw. Heero didn't allow him any more time before he lunged again. This time landing a punch directly in his stomach.

Trowa hunched forward, gasping for air. The punch knocking the wind right out of him. He didn't have time to regain himself as Heero grabbed a hold of him. Swinging his leg, Heero knocked out his own legs, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. Heero going down along with him.

"I warned you Barton! I told you not to get involved with her!"

Heero sent his right fist into Trowa's jaw again. His lip busting open from the force behind the punch. Tasting the blood in his mouth, Trowa turned his head back in time to see Heero's hand coming back down again. Reaching up he grabbed a hold of Heero's arm before he made contact again.

"You may of warned me Yuy, but I still fell in love with her!" Trowa yelled.

Heero stilled above him. Trowa's hand gripping his arm. "You what?"

"I fell in love with her, but she only left me in the end. She's exactly like you. When things get to be too much, you just up and run. She did the same thing. She fucking left me because she couldn't handle the fact someone actually cared about her. That someone actually _loved_ her." Trowa's eyes blazing with emotion as he spoke.

Duo and Wufei were about to intervene when a voice broke through to the room. "Enough!"

Duo and Wufei turned their heads back to Heero's laptop. J was still on the screen, but his expression was anything but pleasant. "Enough. I called out of courtesy. While once again I have failed in my creation, the least I can do for you is inform you that Serena plans to finish the Gundam and use it to destroy ROE. I don't know how the ZERO System will respond to her. If any of you value her life, I suggest you go find her. If not it won't make a difference to me. I have severed my ties with her. But I must warn you. You will also be putting your own lives on the line as well." With that the screen went black.

Heero stood up, keeping his eyes locked on Trowa. "I warned you." He said in a low growl.

Trowa slowly got back up onto his feet. "Guess you did, didn't you?" A smirk on his lips.

"I'm going to find her, if you're smart enough you'll stay away." Heero glared at him.

"You can't pull the big brother card on me Yuy, she's _not_ your sister."

Heero balled his fists as his jaw clenching. "You think _you're_ the only one who _cares_ about her?"

Heero turned on his heel. Grabbing his laptop, he slammed the screen closed. He knew if he stayed, he'd just hurt Trowa more. He also knew in that moment that Serena was the one who had accessed their system. She wasn't stealing information, she was creating a distraction. One that could take days to fix. And if his gut was right, she wouldn't need more than a day or two to finish the Gundam. Without a word or even a second look at Trowa, he left the room.

"Whoa…" Duo said. "Thing's just got crazier."

"I'll say." Wufei said before turning to Trowa. "You good?"

"Yeah." Trowa said as he wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm good."

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Tuesday! It is Tuesday right? Yes... lol I'm poking fun at myself._

 _Anyway! So that happened. I want to just clarify J and Serena did NOT have a sexual relationship. Just to make sure everyone is on the same page. What he means by him training her to use her body, is that he made sure she understood that her body wasn't just a weapon by strength, but that she could use her looks and sexaple to complete missions. Got it? Alright cool._

 _SO HEERO, finally had a reason to pretty much punch Trowa in the face. I'd like to believe if Serena had been in the room she probably would've taken a shot at Heero because... well she can. They're equally matched and she probably wouldn't have liked it too much that Heero was beating on her *cough* boyfriend. Even though she dislikes the term. Much like Heero. MWHAHAHAHA Though I do feel Trowa's reaction to everything was perfect and well at the end he had nothing to lose. Why not shout it to the world that he fell in love with some girl he picked up on a mission. (If NONE of you laugh at my pun, I will be upset. I'm only joking.)_

 _OH there's so much more to come. Chapter 51 is ready and waiting... and guys, grab a tissue. Till later this week!_

 _-MM_

 _PS. OMG Completely forgot, um.. Serena's confession!? ONLY TOOK HER FOREVER!_


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty-One**

One Question

Once back in his office, Heero opened his laptop. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he pulled up the encrypted code J had used to call him from. Sending the call out, he crossed his arms while waiting for the connection to be made.

Within moments J's face appeared on his screen. "I had a feeling you'd be calling me back." A smirk playing on his lips.

"Hn."

"Well, let me ask you this son. Do you feel that protective of her, that you're willing to sacrifice your own life to save hers?"

Heero tilted his chin up, but said nothing in response.

"I see." J nodded his head "She's going to a resource satellite off of L3. I'll give you the coordinates. But heed my warning, once she engages the ZERO System there's no telling what she'll be capable of. The upgrade she installed is far beyond my ability. In some ways, she was the best of my creations, but I could never bring myself to take away her humanity. Such as yourself."

"What do you mean?" Heero watched as J lowered his head.

"Heero… maybe it was my own selfish need to preserve something good about her. She was a sweet girl. Much like yourself, her heart was pure. She understood how you felt during your training and after. She made a connection with you, even though she had never met you. But she also saw the evils of the world and I was the one to show her how cruel this world could be. She's strong, stronger than I could've ever imagined. I did however succeed where I failed with you. If she does use the ZERO System, she will be unstoppable."

Heero's eyes grew wide as he took in what J had said. J had admired Serena in many ways, even though his ethics were questionable. "What do you mean she'll be unstoppable?"

J looked at Heero for a moment before responding. "I never fully removed the microchip. I simply replaced the old one. I did however program it so no one could access it. Only when it's paired with the ZERO system will it be activated."

"What!? Why would you do that to her!?" Heero lurched forward in his chair.

"My own selfish reasons my boy. She's perfect and she needs to be flawless if she's going to take down ROE. Once the chip and the ZERO system connect, all emotions will be erased. She'll have no memory of any of you nor will she have the ability to hold back. If you want to save her, the only thing you can do is pray that you make it in time to stop her."

Heero sat back in his chair. Thousands of thoughts racing through his mind. Running a hand through his hair, he looked back up to J. "Tell me where she is."

"I will. But there's one last thing I want you to see. I'm sending you the file now along with the coordinates. Just view it before going after her." J smiled as the call was disconnected.

True to his word, Heero saw the file appear on his screen. Opening it, it was a video along with a note from J with the coordinates to the satellite. Clicking the play button, he sat back in his chair.

Serena's face appeared. Her hair was slightly messy, but the look on her face was one of sadness. " _Just tell me where it is…"_

" _What about the others? Do they know you're planning to go after ROE yourself?" J's voice sounded._ Heero tightened his eyes. So this was a recorded conversation between them.

" _I don't want Heero or Trowa finding out." Serena shook her head before she turned her head away. "They'd only get hurt if they knew."_

" _Do you think it's wise to_ not _inform them?"_

" _I… I_ won't _let them get hurt. I won't let_ him _get hurt." Serena was battling with herself. Her face scrunched up before she relaxed the muscles._

 _There was a long pause. Neither one of them saying a word._

" _Then let me ask you this, Serena." J said. Finally breaking the silence._

 _Serena turned her face back to the screen. She looked as if she was in pain but there was no physical sign that she had been hurt._

" _Did you fall in love with that young man?"_

Heero held his breath as he watched Serena's face tightened. Her eyes closing as she took in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, he could see the answer clearly written in them, even before she spoke...

* * *

After speaking with J, Heero sat at his desk, his head resting in his hands. The reality of the situation crashing down around him. Serena had a good head start. With the "hacking" distraction, it had given her even more time. She knew what she was doing when she left. If they were busy trying to stop the files from getting infected with her virus, they wouldn't go looking for her. They'd have to stay and stop it before it worked it's way through the entire system.

Looking back on it, Heero released she wasn't stealing anything. She was simply having the virus move files around their system causing them one hell of a headache once it was all said and done. But it wasn't actually encrypting any information. It was almost the same thing they had seen when they first met Serena at the Russian outpost. The system was moving files, but it didn't mean they were being deleted. They could've simply been moving important files to another server.

Then again, Serena had claimed that she knew nothing about it, that the files were being moved when she had arrived. Heero believed that J had set her up then, so was it J's virus that was running through their system now? No. J wouldn't be so foolish as to do that, at least not a second time. But Serena would if it meant giving herself a head start.

Heero dropped his hands from his head. Looking up at his reflection in the black screen of his computer, he knew his decision was already made the second J told him that Serena had run off. He needed to go after her. To try and stop her before she hurt herself or worse… Even if it meant dying in the process.

Heero winced at the idea, but he owed it to her. Not to mention he still had a job to do. Preventers needed to stop any and all who wish to bring about the destruction of peace. An oath he had sworn to when he first took the position. And one he had sworn to Relena.

There was just one thing he needed to do before he left. Standing up, Heero grabbed his Preventer jacket before leaving his office.

As Heero made his way down the hallway he spotted Trowa and Duo stepping off the elevator. Duo caught his eye before stepping in front of Trowa. Probably half expecting him to try and start another fist fight with the Trowa. While it was tempting to do, especially after learning Trowa had been having a relationship with Serena, Heero knew it wasn't the right time for them to be going at each other's throats. Regardless of the situation, he needed to focus on what needed to be done.

He had become protective of Serena, something that burned deep within him, as if she was _his sister_. He didn't want just anyone touching her, or even being near her. If this was how Zechs felt about him being with Relena, he now completely understood why.

Everyone was a threat in some way to her safety and well being. Even though Serena was trained to handle herself in any situation that was thrown at her, it didn't mean that Heero didn't worry and that he wasn't worried about her right now.

Because he was.

Her very life was on the line, and it was now his responsibility to prevent any harm from coming to her. As far fetched as it sounded, even in his own mind, he knew he needed to do something in order to save her.

Heero slowed his pace as he came to stand in front of them. "Barton." Trowa, while claimer than before still had a mixed expression on his face. A mask of anger and sadness. "You coming or am I going after her by myself?" Heero kept his face masked and his voice monotone.

Trowa eyed him for a moment before nodding his head. "Are we leaving now?"

"Whoa, whoa! You two just gonna make up like that and leave!? Are you _fucking_ out of your minds?" Duo waved his arms around, turning his head between the two of them. "Haven't you noticed we already have a problem going on here!?"

"It's just a distraction." Trowa and Duo eyed him questionably, so Heero elaborated. "Serena set a virus to run through the system. It's not gathering information, but rather it's moving files around."

"Shit." Duo said, bring a hand up to scratch the back of his head. "So she's doing this to buy herself some time?"

"It's enough for her to finish the Gundam." Heero crossed his arms over his chest. It was just enough time for her to do so, but the only question was would they'd have enough time to get to her before she uses it?

"We should get going then." Trowa said as he lowered his head. His long bangs covering his face.

"Hn. I just need to make one stop before we grab a shuttle." Heero pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it over to Duo. "These are the coordinates we're heading to. It's a resource satellite just outside of L3 area. Give us enough time before informing Une. I don't want others being sent if we can avoid casualties."

"What casualties!?" Duo's eyes grew wide. "I get waiting to tell Une, but why would there be casualties!?" Duo asked.

"I'll contact you when we get close enough to the satellite. Just hold Une off till then." With that Heero nodded to Trowa before heading towards the elevator. Leaving Duo more confused than before.

"Seriously!? Fucking cryptic as ever!" Duo threw his arms before turning away, heading in the direction of his office. "I give up! At least Serena was blunt about things." Duo shook his head as he continued to grumble to himself. _Just be careful you guys. I gotta a bad feeling about this, but I'll trust in you two enough to call when the time is right._

* * *

"Going to see Relena?" Trowa asked from the passenger seat of Heero's SUV.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a few minutes. Wait here."

Trowa nodded his head. They hadn't spoke since they left HQ. Each deep in their own thoughts. Trowa was still struggling with his anger. Serena had hurt him and he wasn't sure if he could forgive her. But he also knew that they needed to stop her. If not for her own safety but for the Colonies and Earth. He half wondered why Heero had asked him to go, but he didn't bother to voice it. He could either be of assistance or he could be their downfall on this mission. Either way, Heero was trusting him to act accordingly, regardless of his feelings. Sighing to himself, Trowa tried to focus on what needed to be done. They needed to find Serena no matter what.

Heero left Trowa as he made his way into the Capitol building. He nodded to the lobby's secretary as he made his way to the elevators. Stepping inside, he pressed the button that would take him to Relena's floor.

As Heero waited for the elevator to reach her floor, he closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. He wanted to go over exactly what he was going to say to her. There was a possibility that he may not return to her. He wasn't so much worried about himself as he was about how something like this would affect Relena.

Every time he left it was a risk. But this time was different.

There were still so many things left unsaid between them, mainly himself. Relena had always been open and honest with her feelings for him and it wasn't until recently that he had shared his with her. But it wasn't never enough. It would never be enough.

The _ding_ of the elevator reaching her floor, brought Heero back from his thoughts. Shaking his head, he stepped off the elevator making his way towards her office. Heero nodded to Jill, her secretary as he approached the two large wooden doors. Two agents stationed on either side. Glancing at each of them, he took a deep breath as his hand reached out to grasp the doorknob.

* * *

Relena looked up just as Heero stepped into her office. The expression on his face was one of determination. One he would've worn when going into battle all those years ago. But there was also a softness to it, hidden just behind that calculated exterior. Before she knew it, she was on her feeting making her way around her desk towards him.

"Heero, is everything alright?"

Heero took three long strides coming to meet Relena. Once she was close enough, he reached out to her, pulling her close to him. As she looked up at him, he dipped his head. Crushing his lips to hers.

Relena didn't have time to think. His kiss was desperate, urgent, but still gentle in nature. The touch of his lips making her head spin before she slowly felt herself melting into him. Her arms encircling his neck as his hand came up to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss.

Relena's head was still spinning when he finally broke away. Resting his forehead against hers. His hand dropping back to her waist.

"Heero, what was that for?" Relena asked. Still feeling dazed from the kiss.

"I've never been able to truly express myself. Words could never come close to expressing what I feel for you." His voice was smooth and rich with passion as he spoke.

"Oh Heero..." Relena felt the prickling of tears against her lashes.

Heero moved to kiss her forehead before placing his head back against hers. Tightening his arms around her. "Relena, I could say every word of endearment to you. Tell you that I loved you a thousands times over and it would still never be enough."

Heero lifted his head so he could look into her eyes. Aqua blue eyes shone brightly at him as more tears started to gather along her lashes. Reaching his hand up, he ran his thumb under her eye, wiping away a stray tear.

"I owe my life to you. I will forever be indebted for everything you have ever done for me. For showing me I could be more than just a soldier, more than just a weapon. But I need to ask you one thing."

Relena sucked in a breath. "Anything Heero. You can ask me anything."

"Marry me?"

"W-what?" Relena's eyes growing wide.

"Marry me." Heero stated, rather than asked. Tightening his arms, he gazed down at her. Pleading with her to understand how important this was. Not just for himself, but for them. It had taken him so long to express his feelings to her that he didn't see the point in waiting. She had already waited long enough, and she didn't deserved to have to wait for him to man up and do what he should've done years ago.

Midnight blue eyes held the world in that moment. Relena felt herself becoming consumed by their power. A sea of emotions swirling about, making her heart race as her mind tried to possess the question. Just a few weeks ago he had been telling her it wasn't the right time to get married. That they should wait. She had believed him, like she always would. But since the other night, everything had changed. Why was it so urgent that he needed to ask her now?

Of course this was Heero and he could never do anything by the books. Just waltzes into her office and proposes… Then it dawned on her. He was leaving. There was no other explanation. Nothing else made sense to her.

"You're leaving..." Relena whispered as fresh tears started to gather in her eyes. Heero thumbed more tears away before kissing her with everything he had.

"Yes." He said pulling away.

"Why?"

"Serena needs me…" Heero pulled Relena closer. "If I can't stop her, she'll end up destroying herself." Relena gasped as her eyes grew wide.

"What?"

"Call Duo and he'll fill you in. I don't have enough time to explain everything to you. I need to try and save her, Relena. If Trowa or myself can't stop her, things will only get worse. A war could break out and that's something I can't let happen. I promised to always protect you and to do that, I need to go."

Relena saw the conflict in his eyes as she stared into them. Leaving her this time was harder for him than it had been in the past. He was struggling between what he needed to do and what he wanted to do. He had promised to never leave unless absolutely necessary. This wasn't a mission Une had assigned him, he was going off on his own.

"My answer is yes." Relena said. Her smile bright, even while her heart was breaking at the thought of him leaving. Although she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "I love you, Heero."

Heero crushed his lips to hers. Trying to convey everything he could. How much he loved her. How she'd stolen his heart all those years ago… even before he truly knew it. They had been teenagers back then, but it didn't stop Relena from becoming his other half, his better half. A life without her wasn't a life worth living.

"I promise I'll do it properly when I get back." Heero said as he pressed his forehead to hers.

Relena let out a small chuckle.

"I'll hold you to it." It was Heero's turn as he let out a chuckle of his own.

"I need to go..." Heero said as he reluctantly pulled away from her. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Relena smiled sadly at him before wiping away a few tears. Putting in her best face for him.

"Come back to me, Heero." Heero's stomach twisted as he reached back out to her. His hand wrapping around the base of her neck to pull their foreheads back together one last time.

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to return to you." Heero said before kissing her once last time. As their lips parted, Relena kept her eyes closed, savoring the last few moments she had with him. Slowly she opened her eyes.

"I believe in you, Heero. I always will."

Heero smiled at her before pulling his hand away. Dropping it back to his side. Resolve slowly forming in her eyes. She smiled up at him as he took a step back. She understood him better than anyone else, loved him for his flaws and imperfections. Believed in him when he doubted himself. She was everything and more.

"I love you, Relena." Heero said before turning on his heel, making his way towards the door. If he stayed any longer he wouldn't have the heart or strength to leave. With every tear she shed taking another piece of him. They had never said _goodbye_ in the past and they weren't about to start today.

Relena watched his retreating back. It was hard to stop the tears from flowing freely down her cheeks, but she knew she needed to put on a brave face. They were each other's strengths and weaknesses. He glanced at her once last time before he opened the door, leaving her office. A wave of emotions washed over her, but she reminded herself of the most important things. They understood each other better than anyone and she trusted him.

Standing up straighter, she wiped away the last of her tears. He would return her, like he always did. Smiling to herself, she stepped back to her desk. If Heero had the confidence to do what _he_ needed to do, so could she.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Thursday!_

 _Well that's one big question ain't it!? Bet most of you figured out that this was coming. Funny part is... It wasn't going to happen... O.O Yes that's right! After consulting a few people, the decision was made to add it. The original scene had him asking her to believe in him, but now after finally getting this damn proposal down, I'm sooo happy and grateful you guys talked me into doing it! You know who you are! So thank you!_

 _I hope my proposal scene meets your expectation. Though non-traditional, but this is Heero and Relena we're talking about, not to mention this is a fanfic.. so i control how it goes! Hahah, actually you the readers have more control than you know. You've said things to me and I've taken those ideas and run with them a few times. It's fun and this is what this fandom should be about!_

 _I'd like to just bring this up quickly. Do you think it's wise of Heero to bring Trowa? Most of you don't think so, but have any of you figured out the reason why Heero's bring him? It should be easy to figure out, than and well I needed Duo to hang back at HQ... lol whoops sorry dude... HE'S GOT AN IMPORTANT JOB TO DO! Coming up in the near future. If you're wondering about ROE, Chapter 52 will introduce you to them.. and possibly the most cockiest leader EVER. Also... is that a Gundam!? ;)_

 _UNTIL NEXT TIME!_

 _-MM_


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty-Two**

Lost Forever

Serena already had a six hour head start by the time they arrived at the spaceport. Factoring in the time it'll take them to reach the resources satellite, she would've add at least three more hours to her total time. Heero and Trowa had to stop to grab extra supplies before heading to the spaceport. Hoping they'd be able to obtain a shuttle with ease.

Unfortunately luck was not on their side.

It had taken them well over an hour before they were granted permission to take one of the private shuttle. Brussels International Spaceport had been another victim of a system wide shut down. At first they had questioned the staff as to why the system was down, but it wasn't until Heero made the connection between the last shuttle that had taken off and when their systems and radar had gone offline.

It was Serena who had shut down the whole damn place.

It was confirmed when they showed one of the spaceport employees a photo of her. The worker said that Serena had been the last person to obtain a private shuttle. It was just another delay she had set. Serena was covering all her bases as well as her tracks.

Serena had turned off her shuttles GPS system once she made it through the Earth's atmosphere. Which made it impossible to track her location. Heero and Trowa had tried to locate her shuttle, but after an hour, they decided to stop looking. The last location the shuttle registered was just passed the Earth, heading towards the L1 cluster.

They had spent the rest of the journey to L3 in silence. Other than having discussed their plan once they entered the satellite. For the most part it was a straightforward plan. They'd entered the satellite, disarm anyone they came across, find Serena then get the hell out of there.

Finally the resource satellite came into view. Heero maneuvered their shuttle towards the docking bay. There was a slight hesitation on Heero's part. But that was only because the hangar door was already open.

"Just go in. If anyone's here they already know about us." Trowa said from his right.

"Hn." Heero adjusted the shuttle, taxing it into the hanger. As they entered, they only saw one other shuttle docked.

Once Heero had shut down the shuttle's system, they made their way towards the back. Grabbing a pair of spacesuits, Heero handed one over to Trowa before putting on his own.

"Remember, we don't know what we're walking into. If she's tested the Gundam, the ZERO System will have been activated." Heero said as he turned to face Trowa who was in the process of zipping his suit closed.

"Yeah, I remember." Heero had gone over what would happen if Serena used the ZERO System. Even if she was just doing a test run. Once connected, the new chip would activate, causing her to lose all emotional ties with herself along with her memories. If that was the case, she wouldn't remember them. She wouldn't remember _him._

Looking back to Heero, Trowa gave him a nod before putting his helmet on, locking it into place before grabbing one of the small duffle bags they had put some of their supplies into. They had brought with them a few extra guns along with some extra ammo, but chose to not bring any explosives. Their goal was to try and get to Serena before anything happened and get her safely out. With few casualties as possible. Even though they expected to run into a few minor bumps along way, it wasn't going to deter them from their mission.

Once they were ready, Heero opened the hatch to the shuttle, allowing them to enter the hangar. Guns at the ready, their bodies weightless in the zero gravity as they headed towards one of the doors. At first glance they weren't able to see anyone. Heero's comlink crackling to live as Trowa began to speak.

"What are the chances she left the hangar door open knowing we'd be coming?"

Heero looked around the hangar some more as they made it to the side door that would allow them to enter into the main part of resource satellite. "She was being careful to cover her tracks. I don't think she'd willingly leave the door open for us." Once they reached the door, Heero turned to Trowa before unlocking the door. "Be on guard. We move together."

Trowa nodded his head in response. Turning back, Heero unlocked the door. The door opened to a smaller room, one where it would vacuum seal them inside before allowing airflow to be pumped inside. Once they stepping into the room, the door closed behind them with a _click_ , as the light above the other door turned red. Air began to flow into the room as the gravity system kicked on, allowing them to feel their own body weight again. When the light above the door turned to green, the door slid open, allowing them to walk out into a long hallway.

Once they stepped through the doorway, Trowa let his eyes roam the hallway while Heero checked to make sure there was in fact oxygen being filtered through the satellite. When Heero gave all the clear, they began to remove their spacesuits. The first room they found they disposed their suits into before arming themselves. Digging through the bag Trowa had brought, he handed Heero two more handguns, along with a few extra magazines. It wasn't much, but they wouldn't have been able to carry more without slowing themselves down. They'd have to make do with what they had. Though Trowa was still wishing that he had grabbed a couple of rifles.

When they were both ready they headed out of the small room, slowly making their way down the hallway, checking each room they passed. They had no blueprint to go by, and there was no telling how many hallways they'd have to go through to get to where the Gundam was being stored. They also didn't know how many people they would be encountering, besides Serena. They had discussed their ideas on where the Gundam could be, and based on initial findings, there had to be a second hangar located somewhere within the satellite. Most likely stationed at in the center.

As they continued their sweep, they noticed how oddly quiet the place was. They had yet to find anyone and a feeling of dread started to set in.

"If this is where the Gundam was being stored, shouldn't we have found someone by now?" Torwa questioned quietly, as they checked another room.

"Something isn't right." Heero said as he moved away to check another room. Heero had to agree, this wasn't normal. It felt more like a repeat of Russia than it did anything else. Expect this time they weren't finding any bodies lying about.

"Should we skip sweeping the place and just try and find the second hangar?" Trowa asked as he came to stand next to him. Heero stopped short of opening the next door, weighing their options.

Heero debated whether or not to forgo normal protocol. But things were becoming more unsettling as they continued. They hadn't found anyone. Hadn't seen anyone. The satellite was completely empty as far as they could tell. It felt like they were wasting their time, but part of Heero couldn't drop old habits. "We'll check these last few rooms. From there, if you pass by a door and you feel something, check it. If not, we'll keep moving. I don't think anyone is here, but I don't want to set ourselves up to fall into a trap." With that Heero opened the door to find yet another empty room.

When they finished off the last set of rooms, they came to stand in front of the very last door at the end of the hallway. Trowa looked to Heero before placing his hand on the doorknob. Opening the door, they were greeted by a darkness. The space appeared to be larger and not another hallway or stairwell as they had been expecting. The only visible light was shining in from the doorway they were still occupying. Glancing at each other they raised their weapons, slowly making their way into the dark room. Staying close to each other they allowed their eyes to adjusted. It was becoming clearer with each step they took that they were in fact in a large room, one possibly larger enough to store a Gundam. Had they finally found the second hangar?

Their footsteps were almost completely mute as they continued to scan the area around them. Then the door they had entered from, their only source of light in the large space, slammed shut.

Heero and Trowa turned abruptly back towards the door. The room now in complete darkness. Their eyes hadn't been able to fully adjusted to the darkness before the lights over head were turned on. Both raised their arms, trying to shield their eyes from the harsh bright light.

After a few moments, their eyes were able to adjust enough for them to lower their arms. They were standing in the middle of a hangar, surrounded by men pointing rifles directly at them. Heero and Trowa immediately raided their own weapons in defense. Looking around, they were severely outnumbered. At least thirty men stood in a circle around them. As their eyes continued to roam, they spotted the area where Serena's Gundam _should've_ been.

They were too late.

"You're outnumbered." A male voice spoke from behind the group of men. Heero and Trowa's eyes snapped in the direction of the voice. A few of the men moved to allow the man who had spoken to step forward. He was a middle aged man with slightly greying hair. He was clean shaven with a short cut hairstyles and no visible markings on his face. He was dressed in a almost all black military uniform. Dark green lined his shoulders as well as the cuffs of his jacket. A dark green symbol lay sticked on one of the breast pockets, ROE written in black on the oval symbol.

"Who are you?" Heero asked. If he had wager a guess, his bet was that this man was a General or a high ranking officer.

The man smirked as he rested his hands on his hips. "It doesn't matter who I am." Heero narrowed his eyes. He knew there was nothing they could do, but he had hoped to get some kind of information from the man.

"Now, now son. No need to glare at me. You'll find out soon enough. Now lower your weapons." Heero and Trowa glanced sidelong at each other, before turning their attention back to the man. "I said lower your weapons. This will be my finally warning."

Heero and Trowa slowly lowered their guns. They didn't have a choice, they were outnumbered and if they tried anything, they'd only be able to take a few of them before they were killed themselves. Their only hope was that if they went along with whatever was going to happen, that they'd be able to find some way out. No matter what, it was a gamble either way.

"Good, now place them slowly on the floor, pushing them towards me."

Heero and Trowa did as they were told. Kicking their guns towards the man before slowly lifting their hands.

"On your knees."

Heero gritted his teeth as he slowly lowered himself. He glance at Trowa whose jaw was set in a hard expression. Turning his attention back to the man, he saw as he nodded to a few men behind them. Heero's body tensed as he felt someone approaching. The last thing he saw was the man in front of them smiling wickedly before the butt of a gun hit the back of his head.

* * *

When Trowa finally came to, the first thing he felt was the pain radiating from the back of his skull. Trying not to move right away, he allowed himself to get his sense of his surroundings. He was sitting up, that much he knew. He didn't open his eyes right away, letting the pressure in the back of his head fade a little more before doing so. He could feel something heavy around his wrist, but nothing around his ankles. At least that was a good sign.

Slowly opening his eyes, he kept his head bowed as he glanced around the room. Looking at everything he could from where he sat. He spotted Heero just off to his left in the same position. Handcuffed, sitting propped up against the wall. Heero's eyes were still closed and from his breathing, Trowa wasn't sure that he had come to or not. Moving his head slightly, he tried to get a better look around. The lighting was dim, making it difficult to see. From what he could tell they were in a small room, nothing besides themselves occupying the space.

Trowa chanced a second glance at Heero who still hadn't moved. "Heero." Trowa hissed quietly. He was becoming concerned that Heero may have been hit harder than himself and was still unconscious. Slowly Heero opened his eyes, but kept his head bowed as he glanced sidelong at him.

"Good, you're awake." Trowa kept his voice low. Unsure if they were being watched.

"Any idea where we are?" Heero asked. His voice just as low.

"My guess is a cell. There's nothing in here from what I can tell."

"Hn." Heero lifted his head as he glanced around the room. There's was a door opposite them, but as Trowa had said, there was nothing else in the room. "Any idea on what our game plan should be?" Heero turned his head towards Trowa.

Trowa shook his head. "I guess we wait and see." As if on cue the door opposite them opened, causing the bright light from the hallway to come flooding into the small room. Clamping their eyes shut, they raised their hands trying to shield what light they could from their eyes.

"Hey, they're awake now." Someone called out from the doorway.

"Good, we'll bring them to him then." Another male voice said.

Trowa and Heero shot each other another glance before the two men stepped into their small cell. Deciding quickly that they'd go along with whatever they wanted. It would at least give them an idea of where they were and hopefully allow them to find a way out when the time came.

"Both of you, on your feet." The first male said. He was a slightly tall man, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was of average build, but nothing really stood out about him. Him along with the other male were both wearing the same uniform as they had seen the others wearing from the hangar.

Both of the male soldiers raised their guns, pointing them at Heero and Trowa. "Up, now." The second one said. He was too of average build but with blonde hair and green eyes. Heero and Trowa got to their feet as both men moved to the side of the door. "Good, start moving."

When Heero and Trowa left room, they were greeted by two more guards. They each had their weapons raised and pointing right at them. Once the other two came out the cell, the two standing in front of them nodded to the other guards before turning on their heels, heading down the corridor.

The two men who had gone in to retrieve them pushed the tips of their guns into their backs. "Start walking."

Heero and Trowa glanced at each other. They could take them out easily, but with their hands cuffed and no weapons of their own, they couldn't do much. Plus they didn't know where they were or where they were going. Heero was the first to make a move, as he slowly started to follow the two guards that were ahead of them. Trowa following behind him.

The guards took them through a series of hallways and different levels of wherever place they were in. It almost seemed like they were trying to confuse them as they walked. Taking one hallway to another, then going up a level to walk down another hallway and then up another level. They had been walking for some time now and during that time, Heero and Trowa had been exchanging glances with each other. There was no way it would take this long to get to wherever they were going, unless the place they were in was that massive.

Finally the two guards in front of them stopped. Turning to face one of the doors on their right. The one of the left stepped forwards as he swiped his keycard through the door's keypad. The door slid open as he stepped inside, followed by the other guard. Heero and Trowa were nudged forward, not knowing what they were walking into. Once through the threshold, they noticed that they had entered what looked to be a command center. Monitors were scattered about and several larger ones were mounted on the far wall across from them. There were several people sitting at their stations, working away on their own personal computers.

As their eyes swept the room, they landed on a man standing in the middle. His arms were crossed behind his back as he stared up at the large wall of screens.

"Gentleman, it's nice to see that you're awake." He spoke with his back to them. He was wearing the same black uniform as everyone else they had encountered. From what was visible to them, he had short brown hair, with streaks of grey throughout it. "I'm sure you're wondering where you are?"

Trowa and Heero kept their faces impassive as they listened to the man speak.

"You're currently at our central base. It's quite an impressive place. As you can see, we're currently standing in our main control room. But I can assure you that there is more to this beautiful place than just this room." The man slowly uncrossed his arms, turning to face them.

"My name is Commander Gavin. Now I'm sure you have plenty of questions. Some I am more than happy to answer." Gavin said as he stood tall. He was a middle-aged man who had lived through both wars. And was currently the lead of ROE. He had spent years working to build up his own army to command, aside from what Edwards had entrusted him with. But now that Edwards wasn't in control, it was finally time for him to launch his own attack against the Colonies and Earth.

"What are you planning on doing?" Heero asked, keeping his face a stone mask.

Gavin chuckled as he took a step closer to them. "Straight to the point I see. I don't see why I can't inform you. My plans are simple, ROE will gain control of both the Colonies and Earth."

"How?" Heero was trying to stay as calm as possible. If they were to find out anything, and possibly find Serena, he needed to stay clear headed. But Gavin was already starting to annoy him in the few moment's he had met the man.

"I think it'd be much easier to show you." Gavin said smoothly.

One of the guard standing behind Heero hit him in the back, signaling for him to move. Another guard did the same to Trowa. They separated, moving to the side as Commander Gavin started walking towards them.

"Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to follow me." Gavin gestured with his hand.

They walked out of the control room, heading down the hallway once again. They stopped when they came to the end in front of a large elevator. Gavin reached into his pocket, retrieving a keycard before swiping it through the card reader. Once the doors slid open, Gavin gestured with his hand. The two guards in front of Heero and Trowa moved into the elevator. The two standing behind them nudging them forward with their guns. Once inside Gavin stepped in, swiping his card again. The light on the panel turned green before he pressed one of the buttons.

The elevator started to move, descending down the shaft. After what felt like only a minute, the elevator stopped. The door sliding open, revealing another hallway. Gavin stepped off first, followed by the two guards. Before either of them could take a step, they were nudged again from behind. Heero starting to get annoyed by the action tried to suppress a growl.

Once they were off the elevator, Gavin lead them down the hallway. There were no other doors except for the set of double doors at the very end. When they reached the doors, Gavin stopped to he swiped his keycard again. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he smiled at Heero and Trowa. "Gentlemen, I believe this will explain how I plan to do things." Turning back to the doors, Gavin pressed his thumb to the scanner, the doors sliding open.

They didn't even need to step foot into the hangar that opened up in front them. From where they stood, they could clearly see the massive Gundam looming over them. Gavin headed through the doorway first, making his way onto the catwalk. The two guards in front of Heero and Trowa following close behind, before they started to walk. Heero glanced around the hangar, the only thing that was in the large space was the Gundam itself. Workers were moving about, but one thing he noticed was that Serena wasn't one of them.

Turning his attention back to the mobile suit, the Gundam was almost an exact replica of Zero. The four angel wings were identical, the build and body style were the same, but the coloring was different. This suit was painted white with silver and gold accents. Nothing like the blue with red and yellow accents that Zero had. The wrist were wrapped in gold, with hints of silver along with the side skirts. The shoulders were lined with the gold but what caught Heero's attention the most was the teal eyes. The designed that Serena had shown them didn't even compare to what the actual mecha would look like. Every little detail was well thought out. Then again, Heero expected nothing less.

"Isn't she something? The perfect embodiment of power." Gavin kept his back to them as he looked fondly at the suit. "This will be it's grand entrance into the world. The people of Earth and the Colonies will bow down to it, bow down to us."

Heero and Trowa said nothing in response. There wasn't anything to say. They knew well enough just what one Gundam alone could doing. Havoc and chaos. Even total destruction.

"I'm sure you're wondering how we plan to use this machine. Unfortunately, you'll have just wait and see." Gavin glanced at them from over his shoulder. A smug smile gracing his face. Then they heard the familiar sound of the ramp opening on the suit. Gavin's head snapping back towards the Gundam. "Ah, there's our star now."

As the ramp came down to rest on the catwalk, the guards behind them every so nicely nudge them forward, as Gavin made his way towards the now open cockpit.

Then they saw her.

Serena stepped out in a blueish-black body suit. Similar to the ones they had worn on occasion. Her hair pulled back into a high ponytail as she made her way towards the catwalk. Never once looking their way.

Trowa gritted his teeth as he watched her. Every curve modeled perfectly with the suit. Curves he knew so well. Heero narrowed his gaze as his eyes followed her every move. They had finally come to stand just feet away from where the ramp lay.

"Delta, how was your test run?" Gavin asked once Serena made it to the end. Turning her head, she looked up at Gavin. Her face a stone mask. "Are you satisfied with the programing? Does everything suit _our_ needs?" Gavin pressed on.

Serena swung her eyes over to where Heero and Trowa stood a few feet away, before she looked back to Gavin. "Who are they and why are they here?" Her voice as impassive as her face. Heero noticed right away that her eyes were different. They were a deeper shade of blue, almost black. The same eyes he had seen on her not even two weeks ago. Was she even the same person that they had known?

Gavin tilted his head at her before turning to face Heero and Trowa. "They're our guest. But don't worry, they won't get in the way. They're just viewing our lovely Kibou."

Heero shot Serena a look when she glanced back at them. Her eyes flashing at him before she turned her head away again. _Kibou._ Heero repeated the name to himself.

"I have work to do." Serena said to Gavin, placing a hand on her hip. She had seen the look in Heero's eyes at hear the mention of her Gundam's name.

"Ah yes, you need to finish preparing. We will be launching soon." A smug smile crossed his face as he moved to stand next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders before addressing Heero and Trowa. "This young lady will be the Earth and Colonies undoing. Both will fall and then ESUN will have no choice but to hand over control to us. It will be a glorious day." His smile growing darker. "Am I right ROE?" A resounding _yessir_ could be heard throughout the hangar.

Heero watched as Serena's mouth never opened. Her face still an impassive mask, but he saw something pass over her features before she schooled her face. He needed her to open more, he just needed one last clue.

"Delta?" Gavin asked. His arm still around her shoulders.

"I have work to do." Serena growled out before shrugging his arm away. She gave Heero and Trowa one last look before turning on her heel, walking away from them. Her only hope as she left them was that Heero understood what she was trying to convey to him.

"Don't mind Delta, gentlemen. She's not very talkative to begin with, but as you can also see we're also very busy. I believe it's time for you both to return to your cell. We'll speak again soon." With a dark smile on his lips, he waved them off with a flick of his wrist.

Trowa was fuming. She had looked right at him, like she didn't even know him. What was worse was that she had even stated she didn't know who they were. Had she been forced to use the Gundam? Or did she do it willingly, causing the chip to activated? Her eyes were a dead give away. The same eyes he had once stared into, but this time there was no recognition. Had they truly lost her this time? Had he _lost_ her forever?

Then there was Gavin. Trowa wanted to knock the smile off his face when he put his arm around her. Like she was _his_ property. He felt the familiar nudge of the gun against his back. He was starting to get sick of that as well. If he could just break himself and Heero out, maybe they could find Serena then blow up the whole damn place. Whatever it was. They had yet to disclose where they actually were, other than at some base. Trowa took one last glance at her retreating back before he turned away. Was it even worth saving her anymore?

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Sunday Funday!_

 _First, I'd thank to thank those of you who reviewed for the last chapter! I'm behind and haven't not personally thanked you, so now you all get a shoutout! I'm thrilled you all loved how I did the proposal and I'm happy that I was talked into doing it!_

 _Alright, so we've gone to Space... Trowa and Heero ended up in a trap... you know because Heero didn't jixen them or anything. Whoops, sorry boys, you had to expect that this was going to happen. We've meet Gavin, who honestly is only cheeky b... hahaha He's one explain of when power goes straight to someone's head. But he's no fool either. He's well aware of who Heero and Trowa are and he's playing into that. Why not mess with them a little? Also we'll meet one of those lovely guards in the next chapter... any of you pay close attention to one of the names I told you to remember? Yeah we're gonna meet_ THAT _guy. As my daughter says. She really does say "that guy," and it's adorable._

 _Quickly! Think Trowa's having second thoughts? That last line... ouch! But can anyone blame him? He's going back and forth and I think he might have a complete change of heart with all this alone time he's probably gonna get with himself. Is this the end of Serena and Trowa!? What about Heero, think he figured something out because he's looking at this from a different point of view? Hm? I can just imagine the Serena and Heero staring at each other, having this whole conversations while everyone else is oblivious to it._

 _Alright, I've talked enough. Though, I must warn you... we're getting down to the possible last five chapters... I will try and make each and everyone count and I will not disappoint! Till next time..._

 _-MM_


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter Fifty-Three**

The Beginning of The End

Serena had known they were the the moment she stepped out of Kibou. She had felt Heero and Trowa even before her eyes landed on them. Gavin had brought them into the hangar to see the Gundam, the Gundam she should've destroyed before they even had the chance to finish building it. Serena had been angry that Heero and Trowa had found their way to the resource satellite. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into and the sheer fact that their very lives were in jeopardy now set her off.

She had to keep her face masked as she looked at them. She knew she needed to pretend like she didn't know them, that she had forgotten all about who they were and what they meant to her. She needed to follow along with Gavin till it was time to launch their attacks against the Colonies and Earth. Then she could make her move.

Trowa's face had remained impassive till the end. She could see the anger growing within him. She knew in the back of his mind he was trying to figure out a way to get out of the situation they were in, but also if she was even worth it anymore. It hurt to look at him. For someone who didn't know him like she did, they would've seen the hurt in his eyes. The pain at seeing her, and seeing that she didn't care. But she did _care_. It had taken everything she had to turn away from him, to leave him behind _again_. She just hoped he'd understand she wasn't trying to hurt him, that she had never meant to in the first place.

What was worse was what she had been doing before she came out of Kibou. While she had claimed to be busy checking over the system from the test run, she was actually making sure a final message would be sent out, in case she didn't make it out of battle alive. Seeing Trowa only made her heart heavier than it already was. It was never supposed to be this way, never supposed to end like this. Why had she let herself fall for someone she could never have?

Her life was never meant to be filled with love and happiness.

Heero had been the calmer one out of the two of them. More than she had expected. She saw the look he threw her way when he heard the name of her Gundam. She was still hoping that he understood the message she was trying to relay to him. Between the two of them, she was putting all her faith in him. If Heero could be patient and hold out just a little longer, she could get them both out of there and away from the chaos that was going to be coming.

Gavin was planning to launch all out assault within the next few days, but when she wasn't sure. As much as she had tried, he never fully gave her the information. No matter how many times she had told him that Kibou needed to be perfect before heading out, he had told her not to worry, that she'd be fine and that they were ready. It only put her more on edge with everything going on. Time was running out and she needed to finish putting her plan into place before it was too late. War was a game of strategy, and if one wanted to come out as the victor, they needed to be able to outsmart their opponent.

Which was exactly what she was going to do.

* * *

Heero and Trowa were being lead back to their cell, similar to the way they had come. At this point Heero felt a direct route would've sufficed. It wasn't like they were going to spending that much more time wherever they were. The only issue he saw with all of it was having to wait for the right opportunity to break out. It's not that he didn't mind waiting, he had been on plenty of stake outs, not to mention having to wait for new mission details to come in when he was younger. But would Trowa be able to handle the waiting? Heero wasn't sure he'd be too keen on the idea, but the unfortunate truth was that was all they could do for now.

As they were being guided down one of the many hallways, two doors down from where they were opened. A slim figure dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark grey t-shirt stepping out into the hallway. Blue eyes catching the attention of not just Heero and Trowa, but their four guards as well. Serena glanced their way before masking her features. Turning on her heel she started walking in the direction they were heading in.

"Delta!" One of their guards yelled. Lowering his rifle, he jogged away from the group to catch up with Serena. Heero and Trowa glanced at each other before returning their attention back to the guard and Serena. Her body had gone rigid as she stood in the middle of the corridor.

"Delta, do you have a minute?" The blond haired, green eyed guard asked as he approached her.

"Nick! What are you doing!?" One of the other guards hissed.

Serena swung her eyes to Nick Renwood. One, he was breaking protocol by engaging with her. And second, he was an annoying thorn in her side. He had been chasing after her again since she returned. No matter how many times she ignored him or brushed him off, he never seemed to get the message. It was starting to get even more annoying with the fact he had started trying to touch her. Deciding then that she was going to handle her problem once and for all. In one fluid motion she shot her hand out, grabbing him by the neck before pushing him up against the wall. His rifle falling to the ground.

No one moved, or so much as breathed as they watched Serena held Nick with one hand before jerking him towards her. Leaning in, she whispered into his ear before pushing him back against the wall. Nick's eyes had gone wide before they narrowed into slits at her. Serena paid him no attention as she glanced at the rest of the group before turning on her heel once again. Proceeding to head in the direction she had intended on going in the first place.

"Are you a fucking idiot!? You know you're not supposed to talk with her unless she's the one who approaches you first. Besides she doesn't speak with anyone but Gavin and those engineers." The brown haired, brown eyes guard said as he walked up to Nick. "Get your shit together man. We have things to do."

Nick looked down the hallway were Serena had disappeared to. "Yeah." Was all he said as he grabbed his rifle off the floor. Turning he looked directly at Heero and Trowa. _She'll get what's coming to her._ Nick thought to himself as a small smile crept onto his lips. _It's just a matter of time._

* * *

When Trowa and Heero returned to their cell, neither had spoken a single word to each other. Heero had moved to sit himself in one of the corners. His head lowered, allowing his bangs to fall into his face. Hiding any and everything he was thinking.

Trowa had been watching him from his own corner. He had originally wanted to discuss a plan of escape with Heero, but he had simply been ignoring him since their return. Trowa wasn't sure how much time had passed since then. No one had returned to summon them, let alone bring them any food or water. It only meant that their chances of escaping were diminishing with each passing moment they sat there doing nothing.

Not to mention how frustrated he was becoming.

"Heero." Trowa ventured. Heero lifted his head enough to glance sidelong at him. "We need to figure out how we're going to get out of here."

"There's nothing to figure out." Heero said as he lowered his head.

"You can't be serious?" Trowa's face darkened. How could Heero be so calm in a situation like this? Or was he giving up?

"I am."

"So we're just going to wait till they decide to do something with us!?" Trowa yelled. Heero's head snapped up, glaring at him.

"We're going to wait because there's nothing else we _can_ do. Best to save our energy for when we're going to _actually_ need it." Heero turned his head back, resuming his earlier position.

The scowl on Trowa's face only deepened by Heero's actions, or lack thereof. Instead of waiting around they needed to be coming up with their own plan. They had gotten out of tighter situations in the past, and why Heero felt the need to be lax about this one was beyond his comprehension. Serena had used her Gundam, activated the microchip and for all they knew was out wreaking havoc among the Colonies and Earth. All while they sat in their tiny room, doing nothing more than napping.

Trowa jerked his head away. No matter how long he glared at the other man, Heero wasn't budging. Maybe it was time that he came up with his own plan. With or without Heero.

* * *

Back at Preventers HQ, Duo had been working hard trying to find Heero and Trowa's last location. He had checked the coordinates Heero gave him, but the only probably was that there was no reasource satellite. In fact there wasn't anything within that area as far as he could tell.

Une had been furious with him. She had spent the better half of an hour screaming at him when she found out about Heero and Trowa leaving without permission and the fact they hadn't even bothered to inform her about Serena. She had demanded that he find them before he lost his job along with theirs. Duo had high tailed it out of her office then, hoping maybe Wufei would be of some help. If he was going to go down in flames, he'd rather not be alone. Even though Heero and Trowa may lose their jobs as well.

Wufei, to Duo's surprise had dropped everything he was doing to help him. Leaving the currently dysfunctional IT department to handle the lovely virus Serena still had running rampaged through their system. In some ways Duo thought maybe Wufei was grateful for the distraction. And he couldn't blame him. He had been working on sorting files till recently, when Une had called him into her office, asking where Heero was. Duo had checked his messages, hoping Heero had sent him some confirmation that him and Trowa had made it safely. When he didn't see a message, he decided to tell Une.

Which unfortunately only landed him and Wufei in the position they were in now.

They needed to locate Heero and Trowa's shuttle which would hopefully tell them where Serena was as well. The only problem, their trail ended just before it had begun. Duo was able to find out that they were the last ones to get a shuttle out of Brussels. It appeared that Serena had also caused a major headache for the Spaceport as well. Duo and Wufei had tracked their shuttles to just outside of Earth's atmosphere before both had shut off their shuttles GPS units. Which only made their job harder. They hadn't been able to find either of their shuttles on any of the Colonies, or at least from the information they were able to gather.

Hacking into the networks was easy, but if anyone found out, Duo knew Une would be up his ass about this as well. _Protocol_. Everything was supposed to be done by the books, go through the proper channels. But when did they ever done anything the _right_ way?

"It's like they just disappeared into space." Duo said as he stopped typing to look at Wufei.

"That's because they did, you idiot." Wufei grunted, never stopping in his typing.

"Hey! No need for name calling, I'm just saying it's…" Duo's words died on his lips as his laptop started beeping. A new incoming message.

Wufei stopped typing to look up at Duo. It wasn't like him to suddenly stop talking and start typing like his life depended on it. Duo's fingers were moving quickly, while he was hunched over his keyboard. Wufei lifted his brow as he continued to watch Duo's face.

"Well I'll be damned." Duo said after a few moments. An encrypted message had come in, but the coding was one he'd know anywhere.

"What?" Wufei asked as he stood up, rounding the desk they had been sharing.

"It's Heero's coding but it's not Heero…" Duo pointed to his screen. "Just read."

Wufei skimmed through the message. It wasn't long, but it did however contain vital information. Information they needed right now. It wasn't until the end that he understood why the message was sent using Heero's signature code.

"What do we do now?" Duo asked.

"We're going to Une with this. Right now is not the time to be pushing something like this aside. She knew if she used Heero's code and sent it to you, that'd you read it without a second thought. She's smart enough to know this." Wufei straightened himself before turning towards the door. "C'mon Maxwell, we gotta move."

Duo stood, grabbing his laptop before following after Wufei. "Let's just hope she gave us enough of a heads up." Both men left the room in search of Une. Time may not be on their side, but they needed to act now, at least while they still could.

 _Duo,_

 _Commander Gavin of ROE plans to make a move within the next two days. They have their own agents set up around the Colonies and Earth and will be moving into position soon. Look for anyone out of place. Secure the ESUN capital along with all delitages. Have Preventer agents on alert in the Colonies. Time isn't a luxury and unfortunately I don't have enough to go into detail. Send Aventinus to rondue with us. We'll be between L2 and L3. Exact cords unknown, as they're positioning the satellite for the attack. Just be careful. I'll do my best to hold them off until you get here. But please, hurry._

 _-S.L._

* * *

Serena hoped her message to Duo was delivered and that he had already read through it. She was risking everything by sending it, but she didn't care. She needed to and get Heero and Trowa out before destroying the satellite. Her virus was already uploaded and slowly working it's way through ROE's system. Her target, all of the Mobile Dolls that were stationed not only within the satellite itself, but the surrounding ones as well.

They had been smart, whether it was Gavin's idea of Edwards, at least a minimum of five-hundred suits that were positioned along the Colonies as was as the Lunar Base. How they were able to hide the suits on the Moon was a mystery to her. The Lunar Base was controlled by the ESUN, but it was being used by Preventers as a research facility. Or so they claimed.

In the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter at this point. She just needed her virus to work its magic.

Serena had debated whether or not to have included that bit of information in her message to Duo, but she figured worst case they'd figure it out for themselves once they arrived. If she played her cards right the virus would infect all of the Mobile Dolls, reprogramming them so they wouldn't attack the Colonies or the Earth. Even the Aventinus if they happened to be on the same path as the Dolls.

Everything was a risk. If she had miscalculated anything, made the simplest of errors, her whole plan would fall apart.

It wasn't just a matter of time anymore. Time she no longer had. Gavin had pulled her into the control room to inform her that they'd be launching within the next twelve hours and that she needed to start preparing Kibou, because she was going to be leading the first wave of attacks.

Millions of thoughts passing through her mind while she raced around the satellite, trying to get everything ready. She needed things to go as smoothly as possible. If her virus didn't make its way completely through to all the MD's, she'd have to stop them herself before they did any real damage. But there was only one issue with this plan. She had programmed the suits to target not just the satellite, but Kibou as well. Reality was that she'd essentially be fighting against herself. The Dolls had been programmed based on her fighting techniques. All the information that had been gathered while she was training was uploaded to the ZERO system that the Dolls ran on. Fate had a funny way of being cruel, but she had to try no matter what. If not for her own mistakes, but for Heero and Trowa.

The resource satellite that they were currently using was once originally used for mining materials. After the wars the satellite had been sitting abandoned until someone had purchased it. Slowly converting it it into some kind of base. For what purpose Serena hadn't known at the time. The owners; whose name was never brought up in any discussions, claimed it was for research and development. To better help the Colonies. The original plan was to have it be so the Conlines could have better manufacturing of their own food source, versus relying on the Earth to send goods.

While the Colonies were able to grow some foods, having another place that was strictly for the productions and distribution of goods would better off set them in the long run. A great idea in theory, especially since Mars was to be colonized. If they could grow more fruits and vegetables on the satellite, then send those shipments to the Colonies, they would be able to better help sustain life in space. Even the idea of having livestock would greatly increase living on the Colonies and one day Mars.

While Mars was far from being ready, the notion of people not having to worry for some time about a food source made the reality of it all that more appealing. Especially for those who wanted to migrate to the red planet. The ultimate goal was to have Mars become a second Earth. One where plants and animals could grow and live, not just humans. If all of this could be made possible, the dependability of Earth's nature reasouse would diminish. Allowing for other expenses to be used elsewhere. A win, win for everyone involved. It would also mean if they were able to colonize Mars, there was a further possibility that Jupiter could also be made a reality.

The original idea; from what Serena was told, was that they would start by using one of the abandoned resource satellites to test their ideas. If all went well and they were able to produce food that met the ESUN standards, they could start sending out the produce to the Colonies. From there they could use other satellites that had been left abandoned. Essentially using them to create their own floating farms.

But then something had changed. When ROE approached J; from the little information he had given her, ROE had learned about the project idea and from there they were somehow able to take hold of the satellite, along with a few others. ROE's other satellites were kept almost the same as they were before the wars. Large warehouses inside of each one, sleeping corridors, as well kitchens and bathrooms. Everything one might need to live and work. The only thing they had changed was making the second hangar large enough to house Kibou's parts, since the Gundam was built in separate locations. They needed to be able to ship all those parts to their main base so the Gundam could be assembled.

Which was the satellite they were currently on.

Gavin had named it Ischyrós; _powerful in Greek_. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why, but maybe because it was what what lay beneath the surface. Then again Gavin didn't even bother to look up what Kibou meant. He simply agreed when she had suggested the name. Or more like when she had forced it on him. Along with the color scheme. She had refused to pilot a dark green suit. Not that she had anything against the color, but it was more of what she wanted her Gundam to represent. She had spent so much time pouring herself into every little detail that she needed it to reflect herself… or what she had once thought was herself. None of it matter now.

There was a total of five satellites all together. While they were working on her Gundam, they had also worked on rebuilding the Mobile Dolls from the Eve Wars. They had been able to obtain parts from the wars, along with leftover scrap metal that had been floating throughout space as a result of those wars. The rest had been gathered over a period of time. Having the materials shipped from all over and going to random locations before ultimately being sent to one of the five satellites. If Serena were to be honest, it was the perfect cover up. With the Mariemaia uprise with Dekim Barton heading it, they ended up somehow securing more parts from the leftover suits.

One of Serena's biggest questions had been how could they have done this if Preventers saw to it to destroy any and all remaining Mobile Suits, including the Gundams? While the ESUN were the one's who made it clear that any and all weapons were to be destroyed, Preventers were the ones left to clean up the mess. Maybe she should've asked this question while she had the chance.

Regardless of how they were able to do it, it was now Serena's turn to clean up the mess. She had tried to learn as much as she could about ROE during her time with them, but like most things, she was kept in the dark. Mainly due to her own personal actions against them. The only information she was able to obtain was from Doctor J himself. It wasn't always enough, but it was enough for her to formulate a plan of attack against them. One she hoped she could pull off. The only question she had left was how she was going to get Heero and Trowa out _alive_?

Serena was down to the last four hours before Gavin planned to launch his attack. She had been busy working on Kibou, preparing for it's first and final battle. She needed to fine tune the ZERO system before heading out. If she couldn't, then all of her hard work would be for nothing. She knew the chip had been reimplanted in her, but J had kept it off. He warned her about her test runs in Kibou and to not active the ZERO system until it was _absolutely necessary._ Serena had rigged the suit so she had to physically type Z-E-R-O into the command prompt before the system was activated. While it had been used in the past, she had always opted for the system to activate on it's own when it felt she was ready to use it. This time however, she was the one who'd be in control.

It was her only chance at retaining herself, at least until she had to give herself completely over to the system.

Serena had been working furiously when she noticed someone on the catwalk. Nick Renwood stood just off to the side of the ramp, staring at her. Serena felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Nick had been pursuing her for some time, but this time it felt different.

"What do you want?" She barked, her eyes glaring at him.

"Just to inform you that Gavin is pushing up the launch. Hope you're ready, _Delta_. You leave in an hour." There was a sinister look to his eyes.

"What?" Serena's heart began to race. _An hour!?_

"You heard me, Delta. Gavin's pushing the launch up. Be ready to go." With one last look he turned on his heel. Starting to make his back out of the hangar.

Serena pushed her laptop aside, moving to stand outside of the cockpit. "Where are _you_ going?" Serena narrowed her eyes at him.

Nick stopped before glancing back at her from over his shoulder. "I have something to take care of before we get started." Without another word he turned his head back, making his way to the side door before disappearing.

Something about the way he had been looking wasn't sitting right with her. She had threatened him when he had approached her early.

" _Don't ever try that again, Nick. If anything happens, I'll kill you."_

Something started to nag at her, something in her guy telling her something was very wrong. Trying to push back the feelings, she returned to the cockpit of Kibou. She didn't have the time dwell on it. She needed to finish the programming on the ZERO system. She only had an hour to be fully ready. Ready to start the beginning of the end.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _ITS STILL HUMP DAY! Yes this chapter is going up late and I'm sooooo sorry for that! I had some issues with editing it, but none the less I got it done!_

 _First, yes the title is misleading in some ways. While it is the beginning of the end, there's still at least four more chapters! SO DON'T WORRY! Second, I gave you all a random history lesson... no regrets. While this chapter didn't have much action, from here on out... that's all there will be. So hold on and enjoy the ride! I'd love to write you guys a long message but I'm honestly falling asleep while writing this. So I will leave you all for now. Until next time..._

 _-MM_

 _PS. Isn't it so sweet how Serena cares so much?! DAMNIT TROWA WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT!_


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty-Four**

Time's Up

Preventers Private Airfield in Brussels.

"Has anyone been able to get in touch with Quatre?" Duo asked as he leaned against the entrance to the cockpit of the private shuttle that'd be taking to the Aventinus.

"No, I've been trying to contact him since before we left."

"And you!" Duo pointed a finger directly at her. "Do you think Heero will be happy to find out that _you_ came along with us?" Relena looked up from her phone, one eyebrow quirked.

"Weren't you the one who _called_ me and said I needed to come directly to HQ?"

"Yes, but that was because _you_ needed better protection." Duo folded his arms over his chest, turning his chin up.

"So what's wrong with me going with you guys?" Relena gestured around with her hand. "I'm fully surrounded by agents, not to mention you and Wufei. I don't see what the big deal."

"Heero is gonna kills us…" Duo mumbled.

"Heero isn't going to do anything." Relena hardened her eyes. "I'm going with you and that's the end of it. I have a right to be there and it's my job to know what's going on. This will directly affect everyone and I'll be needed to do damage control."

"That's what you have your staff for. Not only did Heero make sure that you were well protected, but also Serena told us to protect you."

"Duo, leave her alone." Sally said taking a seat next to Relena. "She has a valid point and as far as Heero goes… I have nothing to do with this." Sally snickered.

"Oh well aren't you a big ol helper in all of this!" Sticking his tongue out for good messor.

"Also if I'm correct, Serena said to secure all members of the ESUN, not just Relena." Sally smiled at the childish antic.

"Enough." Une said as she stepped out of the cockpit. Duo moved to the side, the last thing he needed was for Une to hit him. Like she had earlier. "We'll be heading out once everyone is onboard. Duo," Une turned to face the braided man. "That message was sent roughly an hour and a half ago, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Aright, I want you all to make sure we stay in touch with each Colony. We have some delegates who are either working or on vacation. Also can someone get in contact with Quatre?"

"We've been trying." Relena looked up to Une. "He isn't answering, nor has he returned any of our calls. I've even tried to get in touch with Dorothy."

Une's eyes hardened. "Once we're in route to Aventinus, I want you all contacting our agencies in all five clusters."

"You don't think?" Sally asked. Leaning forward in her seat.

"If ROE is moving themselves into position, then it's possible they've already started taking over the Colonies. If we can't get in contact with anyone, we need to assume the worst case here."

"What are you suggesting?" Wufei asked as he came to the front of the shuttle.

"We don't have enough agents here to take any action and without knowing what's happening we'll continue with our original plan. If we're lucky we'll be able to get to Heero and Trowa and hope they have some information that'll help us decide our next course of action. Duo, try sending a message to Serena. We know she's with ROE but if she can send us anything else…"

"I already tried." Duo cut in. His face darkening as he looked at their Commander. "Either she's unable to respond or the message went directly to Heero. Either way, I haven't heard anything."

"They're most likely with her. In which case any messages sent wouldn't have been seen by either of them." Wufei said. "She didn't specify that they were in fact there, but considering she wants us to send Aventinus, I'm to assume it's for a rescue mission."

"You don't think either of them are hurt?" Relena turned her head towards Wufei.

Wufei closed his eyes, thinking over how to approach Relena's question. "It's possible, but going by what we know about Serena, I don't think she'd willingly let them be harmed while she's there. She got a message out to us, we just have to put our faith in her that she's doing her part till we arrive." Wufei opened his eyes looking around the shuttle. Mixed expressions gracing everyone's faces. "Right now we're not doing ours by standing around and waiting. I suggest we leave now."

Une nodded her head. "Have the rest of our agents boarded?" Une glanced behind Wufei, they weren't bring many but she had requested at least five to help when they arrived on Aventinus.

"Yes, along with everything you requested we bring." Une nodded her head again.

"Take your seats, I'll let the pilot know."

"I don't understand why I can't fly." Duo mumbled as he moved to sit across from Relena and Sally.

"That's because the last time you almost killed us." Wufei said dryly taking the seat behind him.

"Not my fault! I wasn't the one who said " _all clear"_ when it actually wasn't!" Duo turned, glaring at Wufei from between the seats.

Wufei rolled his eyes before turning his head towards Sally who was trying to hold back her laughter. Relena was looking at him questionably. Shaking his head he turned back to look straight ahead. The last time Duo had piloted one of their shuttles he had almost taken out a flock of birds and almost sent them crashing to the ground as he tried to maneuver around them. While he did manage to do it and still get them into the air, it was the last time Wufei let him fly.

Une stepped back out of the cockpit, giving everyone a curt nod before taking her seat. The loud speaker crackling to life, the pilot enstrusking everyone to take their seats and buckle their seatbelts. It would take them roughly an hour, to an hour and a half before they arrived on Aventinus. Depending on how fast their main ship was moving. Preventers had made special designed shuttles, in case of emergency where time was a factor and speed was needed. While most commercial and private shuttles didn't top a certain speed, Preventers did. Because of this, Aventinus could start heading to the L2 and L3 area without having to wait for them. They'd be able to catch up quickly enough.

Which is what they needed to do right now.

Once they were cleared for take off and had made it through the Earth's atmosphere, Une went over instructions before everyone dove into their work. Relena was even given the task of trying to contact a few conlis members as well as trying to get a hold of Quatre. They needed him to handle anything that was going on, on L4 and to keep them informed about the situation. Or at least for him to try to. So far no one had been able to get a hold of anyone. They had even gone as far as to contact someone via their personal phone number. Nothing was going through. Duo and Wufei had even tried to tap back into one of the Colonies network only to be stopped half way through.

Not only was it unsettling on everyone, but their biggest fears by be coming to true. If all communications were down, they had no way of knowing what was going on nor could they send word to their own agents on how to handle the situation.

After some brief arguing between everyone, say for the five agents who remained quiet, Une decided once they got to Aventinus that they'd set to work on trying to get the networks up and running. Aventinus luckily was still able to communicate with them, as well as all of their agencies on Earth. But they needed to secure the Colonies and reopen the connections. Even after discussing their plan, it was still evident on everyone's faces that they not only had their work cut out for them, but the unknown was what worried them all the most. Une tried to reassure everyone, but even she couldn't help but worry. They hadn't heard from Heero, Trowa, Serena or Quatre. While Une was angry with Serena, she knew she needed to put her feelings aside. She didn't have the full story and from what little she did have, she was putting all her money on the young woman.

It was obvious this was Serena's fight and part of her thought maybe Serena was doing this to make up for what she couldn't do before. She just hoped that by the time they arrived that it wasn't too late.

* * *

Heero had continued to remain silent while they were locked away in their tiny cell. Trowa had finally given up and had closed his eyes. There wasn't any point in trying to have another discussion when Heero made it clear he didn't want to have one. The peaceful silence was soon interrupted when the door to their cell opened.

Four guards, including the one they knew as Nick walked in. Heero lifted his head, staring straight ahead. Keeping his face masked as one of the guards made his way over to him, while a second made his way to where Trowa was sitting.

Heero glanced to Nick who stood in the doorway. A smile on his face that sent the message that he hadn't come to bring them anywhere. Heero snapped his eyes to Trowa. It was clear that Trowa had seen the same look on Nick's face. As they were being dragged to their feet, Nick took a few steps into the room.

"Well, it looks like your time has come to an end here on Ischyrós. It's unfortunate, but you two won't be needed any longer." Nick's smile darkened as he raised his hand.

Trowa was the first to make a move. He brought his cuffed hands up, hitting the soldiers gun away. He was about to swing his leg out to trip the guy when he felt something hit him. Intense pain coursing through him as he stumbled backwards to the wall. He had heard the gun go off only seconds before it impacted with his flesh. Everyone had stopped moving in the room as his body slid down to the ground.

Heero was about to make his own move when he saw Trowa move from the corner of his eye. Before he could register anything, he saw Nick raise his gun, aiming it directly at Trowa. The bullet ripping through Trowa's shoulder. Heero watched with wide eyes as blood sprayed the wall behind Trowa before one of the other guards moved to stand in front of him, raising his own weapon.

"Now, now. We can't have you two trying to fight against us." Nick held his gun steady as he moved to see Trowa more clearly. The grinned on his face widened as his finger started to tighten on the trigger.

* * *

Serena had rushed to finish reprogramming the ZERO system. Hoping it would be enough, but something in her gut had been telling her that something else was wrong. While her new verison of the ZERO system may not be her best work, it would suffice. Time was running out and as much as it annoyed her, she just couldn't spend any more time on it.

Gavin had already started deploying the Mobile Dolls. It was only a matter of time before they would start attacking the satellite, hopefully ensuring chaos. The whole place would go down, even if it meant that she'd have to go down with it. ROE's demise was coming, so long as every piece of her plan fell into place. She was done taking orders and the only thing left to finish was _her mission._

As she ran through the corridors making her way to the only place she needed to be in that moment. Her thoughts were only of Heero and Trowa. She just prayed she wasn't too late. Gritting her teeth she pushed herself to run faster. She wouldn't let them die. Not here. As long as she was still continued to breath, they would not meet their end

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Friday!_

 _Yes, I'm evil! Mwhahaha this is a short chapter because I decided to split this chapter up... but have no fear, the rest of this chapter will be posted tomorrow! (It's loaded and ready to go!)_

 _I'm personally excited, and also saddened by the fact we're almost to the end. I'm trying to prolong it as best as I can, but the more I go over what I have and what needs to be added, there's really only three chapter's left. Unless I split more of them up. Hence why I did it for this one. I do hope that I can continue to keep you guys on the edge of your seats as well as bring a few tears to your eyes. I'll admit that I've made myself cry on a few occasions..._

 _We will discuss more in the next chapter ;), until then... you all can freak out on me for not letting you know what happened to Trowa. And also... Duo and birds don't mix... shit that should've been the title of this chapter! HAHAHA_

 _-MM_


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty-Five**

The Battle Begins

Trowa watched through hazy eyes as Nick lifted his gun, aiming right for him. As if in slow motion, Nick's finger tightened around the trigger before the shot rang out.

Nick's gun was sent flying to the ground as he clutched his bleeding hand. Cursing, Nick turned his head to the doorway. A figure stood, shadowed by the light. Trowa swung blurry eyes to the door. His eyes growing wide as he started to take in who the person was.

Heero was about to try his luck and lung himself at Nick, but before he could do anything something caught his eye. When the gun Nick was holding was thrown from his hands, Heero watched as it landed near his feet. Glancing down out of the corner of his eye, he knew he could reach it if he moved fast enough. Swinging his eyes back to the figure in the doorway, he waited for his moment.

"What'd I tell you, Nick!?" The voice seethed through clench teeth.

"You bitch!" Nick shot back, holding his hand.

"I warned you." Serena's voice low and dark as she spoke.

Before Nick could give an order to his men, Serena swung her arms, targeting the guard who stood next to Heero. With one shot he fell to the ground, blood starting to pool around his body. Moving again, she took aim at the one standing in front of Trowa. He didn't even have a chance to turn around before the bullet tore through him. As she moved to go for the third, she watched as his body dropped to the floor next to Nick. Heero holding a gun, aiming directly at Nick.

Once the guard next to him fell, Heero dropped down quickly grabbing Nick's gun. Turning he watched Serena as she took down the guard next to Trowa. Swinging his eyes back to Nick and the last guard who was aiming at Serena. Heero stood and without a second thought he took aim, squeezing the trigger. When the guard fell to the ground he locked eyes with Serena as she swung her aim to Nick. He saw the look she gave him, but continued to keep his aim trained on Nick.

Serena took a few steps into the room. Her eyes locked with Nick's, who was grinning at her even as sweat was starting to form on his brow. "Give up, it's over." Serena said as she came to stand a foot away from.

"Over!? HA!" Nick threw his head back as he laughed. "It's not over. You think you're so fucking special, why would you even care about these guys?" Nick's smile darkened. "It's not like you _know_ them. Besides why would you need them anyway? You have me after all." He figured if he kept up his act that maybe she wouldn't do anything. And just maybe he would make it out of this alive...

"You're right. Why would I care?" Serena lowered her gun, letting it fall from her fingers to the ground. Nick's smile widen as her face softened.

"I knew it, you're just as heartless as…"

Nick's grin was wiped off his face as Serena lunged at him. Both her hands coming up around his neck while she pushed him back against the wall.

"I warn you. If anything happened, I'd kill you." Serena said low, almost hauntedly. Her face so close to his that their lips were almost touching.

Nick's eyes grew wide as he watched her eyes go from a deep blue to an even darker shade. His hands reached up to her hands, trying to pull them away from his throat. Struggling to breathe with each breath he tried to inhale. He watched in utter shock as her lips curl up. But the looks in her eyes was the most frightening. Trying as he could, he couldn't break her hold. Then he slowly started to feel more pressure.

Serena felt a rush of adrenalin wash over her. He was watching her, fear showing in his eyes. Smiling to herself, " _you should be scared."_ Nick was going to die by her hands and her hands alone. She had warned him, if anything happened to either Heero or Trowa, it would be his head that paid the price. She kept her eyes locked onto his as she moved her hands. In one fluid motion she twisted his neck, feeling the _snap_ under her fingers.

Exhaling slowly she let go, watching as his lifeless body fell to the floor.

Serena hunched down searching for the keys that would unlock Heero and Trowa's handcuffs. Nick had always carried a master key. Once she found them, she stood moving to Heero who was staring directly at her. Looking up into his eyes, his face was unreadable, but his eyes were hard with an unapproving look in them.

"When we get out of here, you and I are going to have a serious conversation." Heero's voice left no room for argument. His eyes held her gaze, unblinking before undoing his cuffs. "I'm being serious." Heero said, grabbing her arm.

"And you let _him_ get shot." Serena growled out. Frowning at him, Heero released her arm allowing her to make her way to Trowa who was still sitting against the other wall.

Trowa had kept his head resting against the wall. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, the pain causing his vision to go in and out. Everything blurrying together before he blinked away the fog. He watched Serena as she made her way over the dead bodies, heading towards him.

"Trowa…" Serena said as she knelt in front of him.

Trowa studied her carefully, he was still losing blood and his mind was trying to make sense of everything. He kept thinking he was seeing things, that she really wasn't there, that all of it was a dream. But it wasn't. The pain was real and she was even more real. Serena worked quickly to remove his handcuffs, placing them off to the side before her eyes took in his wound. His shirt covered in a deep rich red.

"How bad is it?" Serena asked quietly.

"Hurts." Trowa grunted out. Serena swung sorrowful eyes to his and for the first time he noticed that her eyes were normal. Midnight blue gazed into his own emerald green. _The chip was never activated..._

"I'm sorry…" Serena said, bring Trowa back from his thoughts. Then her eyes tightened, she must have noticed the bruises on his face. Reaching her hand up, she let her fingers lightly graze the damaged skin. They looked to be a day or two old. Shaking her head she pulled her hand away, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

Trowa continued to stare at her as she started to lift her shirt. His eyes traveling up from her stomach to the curves of her breast in the simple black sports bra. His eyes didn't stop till they reached just above her cleavage. A hint of silver sitting perfectly against her skin. It wasn't until she had completely removed her shirt that he finally realized what it was. It was the necklace _he_ had given her. The teardrop dangling from her neck. She wore it every day since he had given it to her.

Taking her shirt, she wrapped it tightly around his shoulder and arm. Causing him to wince. "Sorry." Serena murmured as she tighten the tie. "This should hold for now." Her eyes turning back up to his. She felt so guilty, there was no one to blame but herself. He had gotten hurt because of _her_.

Then a rumbled sounded from somewhere within the base.

Serena swung her head around trying to pinpoint the source before her eyes landed on Heero's. "We need to go."

Another rumbled sounded.

"What's going on?" Heero asked as Serena helped Trowa to his feet.

"Mobile Dolls are attacking the Satellite."

"Mobile Dolls?" Heero narrowed his eyes at her. "Tell me everything."

Serena adjusted Trowa, getting him to lean against the wall so she could move to gather the firearms that lay scattered on the floor. "The short version?"

"Serena." Heero growled. Serena's head snapped up, glaring at him.

"Gavin want's thirty to forty MD's to head to each Colony where there are ROE soldiers stationed inside awaiting orders. I was to head to Earth in Kibou with the rest of the of the Dolls. They're planning to take over by using force. With the soldiers stationed inside the Colonies it wouldn't take much to let in a few suits. Once securing the Colonies, I would take over the ESUN. The rest of the Dolls would be sent around the Earth, securing local government agencies." Serena threw one of the riffles to Heero as she moved to pick up her handgun. "There's a virus spreading through the Mobile Dolls as we speak. I have it so they'll attack the satellite instead of the Colonies and targeted Earth locations. Their attention will also be directed towards me once we leave."

Heero made his way over to Trowa as Serena gathered the last of the weapons. "What do you mean by _you_?" Serena slowly stood, turning to face them.

"This was the only thing I could think of to stop them. Once I leave in Kibou they'll turn their attacks onto me."

"You can't!" Trowa shouted as he finally locked eyes with her. "That's suicide, Serena!"

Shaking her head she looked up at him with sad eyes. "This is the only thing I can do for you. I have a shuttle ready to take you to Aventinus."

"You contacted Preventers?" Heero questioned.

"I sent Duo a message as soon as I could. I just hope they'll make it here in time. If not, I can distract the Dolls long enough for you guys to get to safety." Alarms started to blare around them as more rumbling could be heard. Serena hardened her eyes. "We need to get to the hangar."

Heero nodded his head. "Lead the way." Heero had Trowa drape his wounded arm around his shoulders. Feeling the taller man wince at the movement, but Heero knew Trowa wouldn't be able to manage on his own without some assistants.

"Hn." Serena walked over to Trowa, holding up her handgun. "Think you can manage?"

Trowa nodded his head as he took the gun from her hand. Serena smiled softly at him before turning away, heading for the door. Once out in the hallway, Serena started to lead through them through corrido, the alarms still blaring all around them. She glanced behind her when they had made it out another another level. They needed to move faster, the longer it took the sooner the Dolls would make their way into the satellite and possibly destroy Kibou before she had the chance to get them out safely. But she also knew that Trowa had lost a good amount of blood…

"The hangar isn't too far from here, we just need to keep moving." Serena said as she came to a stop. Looking to Trowa she bit the inside of her lip. "Think you can run?"

"Yeah, just keep leading the way." A small smile spread across his face.

They made their way through the winding hallways, taking the stairs to move up a few floors before before Serena pushed through another set of doors. They had encountered a few people along the way, but they weren't much of an issue. Some even went as far as to drop their weapons before running past them. Serena had looked at Heero and Trowa with a questioning look. With everything going on around them, she figured that they were most likely scared and trying to flee for their lives rather than trying to fight like they were trained to do. The Mobile Dolls weren't supposed to be attacking them, they were supposed to be on their side. After what felt like an hour, they finally made their way through the set of double doors that lead into the hangar.

"We need to get spacesuits on. They're kept over here." Serena said as she made her way towards a small room just off the catwalk. Once inside she went to work finding each of them a suit along with a helmet. Heero helped Trowa to sit on one of the benches before he was handed a suit.

Dressing as quickly as he could, Heero turned to see Serena helping Trowa into his suit. She stopped once she had gotten it up around his waist, allowing him to sit again. Her hand reaching up towards the blood soaked shirt she had tied around his arm. Her face showing the concern she had for Trowa before her eyes hardened with determination.

"You'll make it out of here alive." Serena said looking directly into Trowa's eyes. "I promise."

Heero said nothing as he continued to observe the two. The scene playing out in front of him was almost identical to one he had gone through eight years ago. Serena helped Trowa put his arm through the sleeve of the suit, trying to be as careful as she could with his shoulder. Once she had gotten both his arms in, she zipped the suit up to his neck before standing. Grabbing her own suit, she threw it on as fast as she could. Once dressed she grabbed her helmet along with Trowa's.

"Are you two ready?" Serena asked looking between them.

Both nodded their responses. Heero grabbed his helmet before helping Trowa to his feet. They followed Serena out of the room and back out into the hangar. Making their way towards Kibou. Heero couldn't help but admire the Gundam, not because it was identical to Zero, but because of the overall design. Serena had outdone herself. He was about to ask her something when he felt Trowa pull away from him. Turning his head sharply, he saw Trowa making his way towards Serena, clutching his shoulder.

"Trowa, you need to leave." Serena said softly as he came to stand in front of her.

"I can't let you do this," Trowa held her eyes as he continued. "There's has to be another way." Serena's eyes soften as she reached her hand up to touch his face.

"I have to go."

"You don't have to fight. We can find another way." Trowa desperately wanted to stop her. If Preventers were on their way, they could help. They _would_ find an alternative to her having to fight.

Serena shook her head lightly. "I have to fight. Let me fight Trowa. If not for you, for the Earth Sphere and the Colonies."

"Serena."

"No Trowa, I need to do this." Serena's eyes hardened, but there was still a hint of softness to them. "These Mobile Dolls are designed to fight like me. I know what they're capable of. I'm the only one who can stop them. If the virus doesn't make it through to all of them, what will you do when they start attacking the Colonies or Earth?" Serena shook her head again. "I can't let that happen. This is my fault so please, let me fight."

As Heero continued to watch, flashbacks of his own past coming to the forefront of his mind…

* * *

 _Heero stood from his seat, reaching out to bring their foreheads together. Her eyes wide, questioning his actions. "I'll defeat Zechs, and I'll go get Treize. Then the war will be over. Afterward, if you make it out of here, there will finally be peace. This is the only thing I can do for you."_

 _Her eyes, blue as the ocean themselves holding the only look she had ever shown towards him. Kindness, understanding and strength… Strength far beyond his own. "Heero…"_

" _I promised that I would protect you. But in order to protect you and the Earth Sphere Relena, I have no choice but to fight."_

" _No…"_

" _Please let me fight." Softening his eyes, he tried one last time to plead with her. Hoping she'd understand._

" _I won't! No way! Heero, you're planning to die aren't you?" She was so strong, passionate about her beliefs and her will to fight for a better world. He knew that she'd be the one to save them all._

" _Believe in me…"_

* * *

"Trowa… I have to go." Serena's voice brought Heero back to the present. He had been reliving a memory. One he held close to his heart...

Serena was starting to lower her hand when Trowa reached up, holding her hand tightly to him.

"Don't, come with us." Trowa said, even though deep down he knew he was going to lose this battle. Serena laughed lightly as she turned sad eyes up to him.

"Where have I seen this before?"

"Huh?"

Serena untangled their hands so she could reach around to the back of head, bring their foreheads together. "Go, I'll be fine."

Trowa didn't give her the chance to pull away. Dipping his head, he captured her lips in one last desperate kiss. Even if for a moment he needed to savor what they had… what they _still_ had one last time. Pulling away, Serena smiled sadly up at him. Dropping her hand, she stepped back from him before turning her head towards where Heero was standing. The sad smile turning into a grin as she looked at him. For everything they had gone through, all the arguments they had had with each other, for once she felt like they truly understood each other.

Heero offered her a smile as he approached them. "We should go." Heero said looking to Trowa.

"Here." Serena reached into her pocket, producing a keycard. "It'll override the shuttle's system. I made sure if anyone tried to take it that they wouldn't be able to. I'll do my best to ca plear path for you, but you'll need to hurry. Once the hangar doors open the Dolls will try and make their way inside."

"Hn" Heero took the keycard from her outstretched hand. Serena moved to place Trowa's helmet over his head. Securing it in place, before turning back to him. The sad smile returning… one that meant _goodbye_. "You'll survive."

"What?" Serena's eyes went wide.

"You _will_ survive." Heero stepped forward, taking her own helmet from her hands before placing it on her head. Bring his head closer to hers, he repeated himself. "You will survive, Serena." He saw the shock pass through her before her lips turned up. He kept their heads together a moment longer before releasing her. Determination overpowering the sadness that had once been in her eyes.

Heero put his own helmet on, closing the visor. Trowa did the same as they moved away from Kibou, heading towards the shuttle Serena had left for them. Heero stopped them once they reached the shuttles entrance. Turning they were able to glance up at Kibou. Serena stood just outside the cockpit. She turned to face them, a small smile on her face before she stepped fully into the suit. The cover for the cockpit closing as the ramp folded up into place. Sealing her inside.

"What'd you say to her?" Trowa's voice came through the commlink.

Heero never took his eyes off the Gundam as it roared to life. The bright teal eyes glowing, highlighting the gold accents around it's head. "Something only she'd understand." The corners of his own lips turning up.

Trowa nodded his head as they continued to watch Serena as she moved Kibou into position. Opening up the hangar door, she positioned herself for take off. The angle wings opening to the sides and back as the thrusters built up their power. Serena glanced at her screen to where Heero and Trowa were standing. She gave them one last look before throwing her arms forward, pushing the controls for the thrusters to full speed. Launching herself out of hangar and into the heart of the battle.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Saturday! As promised, this is the original rest of chapter 54. So many emotions and damnit! DO NOT WATCH EPISODE 48 WHILE TRYING TO WRITE A FLASHBACK SCENE! I made myself cry like a big ol baby! Why you ask? Because I wanted that scene to be moving, also because I deiced to use the English Dub vs the original Japanese context. I felt it had more meaning with what was said and how I had Heero reliving it from his POV. Blah blah blah, mushy good stuff and we all know we f'ing love that scene._

 _Did anyone get why Serena laughed after Heero's flashback? All of it tied together and well, Heero just had throw it out there that she would in deed survive... Though I feel that was a very sweet moment between them._

 _And not to mention her and Trowa... god you guys I'm a freaking emotional mess... and it's not helping with the fact I need to finish writing this huge battle... ugh. This is what I meant in my last chapter that I wanted to be able to move you guys, because I find myself being scared and excited and crying while I'm writing and reviewing what I've written. Okay, need to chill girl. Anyway, I know I said there was three chapters left in my last note. I Went a little crazy last night an added some more to the next chapter. We all know there's going to be a battle (I already said this haha), since there's so many people and so much going on I want to make sure we spend a little time with some of these people in their heads. It's going to be hard for them to watch, conversations between some of these characters needs to happen. (You'll see why.) So I will not say how many chapters are left until I have everything set in stone. I can't let go just yet and only post two more chapters... but the ending has been written and will not change. For now let's all take a few deep calming breathes because we all need it... or mainly I need it._

 _Until next time...with lots of love._

 _-MM_

 _PS... I wish I killed off more random OC's... way too much fun. Nick was going to die from like 20 chapters ago... it was all planned. Serena has a kinky side for killing people... hahahahhahah_


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter Fifty-Six**

Into The Thorns of Battle

Their shuttle had arrived within an hour and a half. Une had sent word for the Aventinus to continue on it's route towards the L2, L3 cluster. Once on board it became clear that the crew of Aventinus had been running around frantically trying to help re-establish communications with the Colonies.

The group was heading straight for the bridge while Une was being updated on the status of the Colonies and what had been showing up on their radar.

"What do you mean you saw multiple objects flying towards points 343L2 & 537L3?"

One of the officers stood rigid as he looked at the Commander. "Ma'am… we weren't able to identify them, but they all seem to be heading towards that one location."

"Why wasn't I notified right away about this!?" Une leered down on the younger Preventer. "In a situation like this, don't you think it would've been wise to tell me!?"

"Yes.. um, Ma'am my apologies… it's just…"

"It's just what!? We have three agents out there with possible injuries! Those "objects" you saw on the radar system were mobile dolls that ROE has in their possession. Next time; should anything be found, I am to be notified right away. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" The junior communication's office said before turning on his heel, walking as fast as he could away from the group.

"Do you think that was necessary?" Sally asked as she stood behind Une. Une shoot her a look from over her shoulder.

"I told them to report anything they found right away. It doesn't help that we haven't been able to make contact with anyone on the Colonies and we still don't know where Barton, Lowell and Yuy are."

"Not to be rude Commander." Duo said sheepishly. "But I think we can all safely say where they are." Duo tried to put on his best grin. He knew the second he let the words slipped past his lips that he was probably in for it.

"Thank you Maxwell, for stating the obvious." Une said as she squares her shoulders. "Let's go see how the rest of the crew is favoring."

Relena walked up to Sally, slipping her arm through the other womans. "I have a bad feeling about this." She whispered as they continued making their way towards the bridge.

Sally glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "Me too. If MD's are heading in the same direction as us, one can only guess what it means."

"Do you think they're alright? No one's heard from them since Serena sent that message to Duo."

"Don't worry Princess," Duo said coming up alongside the two women. "Knowing those three, they're probably putting on quite a show." Duo's wink did little to help ease Relena's worries.

Before Heero had left, Relena had already started to worry. It didn't help the fact he had proposed to her before leaving. Her concerns only intensified when Duo had explained everything to her. Heero and Trowa we're walking into the unknown. She had gone straight to Preventers after speaking with him on the phone. She had tried to busy herself with finishing up a few budget proposals that needed her approval before being sent on their way to the house for a vote.

That had only distracted her for a short amount of time before she had all but given up on trying to do any work. Her mind was solely focused on Heero, Serena and Trowa. Duo had told her about the fight Heero and Trowa had before they left. While she had known about the relationship, she knew Heero was waiting for his opportunity to confront one of them. Trowa unfortunately was the victim of that. Though she had a feeling that Heero probably would've sought Trowa out no matter what. He had become protective of Serena and at times it brought a smile to her face.

Heero was treating her like family, as if she was his sister. Relena just hoped that Heero wouldn't turn into Zechs, who had mixed feelings about everything but herself. He would go to the ends of the Earth to protect her or do anything and everything for her.

The moment had passed, fading from her mind as quickly as it had come. And so didn't her smile. Her fears returning for the three people she had grown to care about deeply. Even though she hadn't known Serena long, Relena considered her a friend and even more so apart of their little family they had created. She wanted Serena to stay and be apart of this family. Everyone deserves happiness and love, and she was no different.

Even with her fears eating away at her very core, Relena hardened her face. She was the Vice Foreign Minister. She had done the impossible over the course of a few years. Now was not the time to lose faith in those who put the most in her.

"I have faith in them, but my biggest concern is the fact that they're gravely outnumbered. If they're really at ROE's headquarters, we can only assume what has have happened."

"I know." Duo's smile fell. "But we need to keep believing that they're alright. Serena wouldn't let anything happen to either Heero or Trowa. Based on her message my guess is that she had something to do with all those mobile dolls."

"For once Maxwell, you're right." Wufei said as he pushed past the group to enter the control room for the Aventinus. "Let's just hope she was able to hold up her end of the deal." Tossed over his shoulder.

* * *

Heero managed to guide their shuttle through the thorns of mobile dolls. Serena was flying ahead, clearing a path for them. While none of the suits had fired at them, the sheer amount that was sworming not just the satellite, but Kibou as well had him wishing he had Zero.

There was just too many for her to handle on her own.

A bright flash of light passed by their shuttle. Heero swung his eyes to the side, only to see fragments of metal floating by. Turning his eyes back, he saw Serena holding her buster rifle in their direction before spinning herself to take out another doll that had gotten closer to her.

"There's too many." Trowa said, breaking the silence that had settled over them. Heero turned his attention briefly to the other man. Trowa's face had gone to unhealthy shade of white. He was still losing blood and the longer it took them to reach the Aventinus, the less of a chance he had. Gritting his teeth, Heero turned his focus back to piloting the shuttle. Pushing the throttle to it's limits.

They passed by Serena as she continued to take out suit after suit. She had discarded her buster rifle in favor of using one of the beam sabers. The mobile dolls had been mimicking all of her attacks. Spraying bullets at her before moving in for a close range attack. Serena dodged their advances, while inflicting her own damage upon them.

She knew what she was doing, but it was impossible for her to dodge all of their attacks.

"We can't leave her."

Heero glanced at Trowa, he had taken his eyes off the battle for the first time since they left the satellite. "You need medical attention."

"And she needs us!" Trowa gritted his teeth as pain shot through his body.

"We can't, we need to get to the Aventinus." Heero said as he checked the radar. Red dots littered the screen and it didn't help that all of them were heading in the direction they had just come from.

"Heero." Heero turned his head to look at his comrade. "Promise me you won't let her die out there. That you'll do everything you can to save her."

A frown formed on his face. How could he possibly agree to something like this when he himself felt useless? He had done everything he could up until now, but with the amount of mobile doll, he wasn't sure that the Aventinus could handle that many as well as go after Serena. They didn't have any of their own suits. Not even an old Leo or Aries they could use.

"I can't promise anything…" Heero shook his head when he saw Trowa open his mouth to protest. "But know this, I will do everything in my power to help her. We don't have our Gundams anymore, let alone any kind of mobile suit. We need to trust in her; _believe in her,_ that she'll make it out of this alive. She's stronger than we think she is."

"I do believe in her, but it doesn't mean that I'm not worried about her."

"I know…" Heero turned his head back. He couldn't bare to look into Trowa's eyes anylong. Not only was he hurting from the injury he had sustained, but he was also hurting from the helplessness he was feeling. He wasn't the only one. Heero would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. While they had gone through almost the exact situation eight years ago, there was more than just one of them having to handle two-hundred plus suits. Serena was completely on her own.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the command center of the Aventinus. Une had everyone working double time to get them as fast as they could to the satellite. From where they were, they could see bright flashes of light in the distance. The large wall of monitors showcasing what looked to be a heated battle.

"Shit." Duo said aloud. "You don't think Rena's out there?"

"Probably is…" Sally said grimly. "That's definitely some sort of battle going on."

"Are we able to get any readings on what those are?" Une barked to one of the officers sitting closest to her. His fingers quickly going to work.

"Yes, it appears they're made out of Titanium Alloy, most likely the mobile dolls you informed us about. But there's also another signature…" The office trailed off. Une shooting him a warning look. "Ma'am, it seems to be Gundanium…"

"I guess we got our answer." Sally said as she kept her eyes on the screen.

"Yes, but from what we can see currently, she's not attacking the Colonies." Une hardened her eyes, praying Serena was still in control of herself.

"But what about Heero and Trowa?" Relena asked as she held her hands to her chest.

"They have to be…" Duo started to say as he draped an arm around Relena, trying to confront her.

"Ma'am!" The officer shouted.

"What is it?" Une turned her head sharply back towards the communication officer.

"There's appears to be a shuttle approaching us at a high rate of speed."

"Can you make contact?"

"Yes, give me just a minute…"

Heero's face appeared on the screen. His expression was unwavering as he stared at everyone. From what they were able to see, it didn't appear that he was injured. His hair had seen better days, but even if he was hurt, he wouldn't show it.

"Heero!" Relena said in relief. A smile touching her face.

"I need someone from the medical bay to meet us once we land." Heero cut right to the point. Now was not the time for him to be questioning why Relena was on the Aventinus. He needed to get Trowa medical attention as soon as possible.

"Are you hurt?" Une asked. Heero shook his head " _no."_

"Trowa's been shot. He's still conscious but he's lost a lot of blood."

"Have one of the bay's opened and ready for them." Une said turning her head to one of the other officers. "Sally get a team…"

"I'm on it." Sally said as she headed for the door.

* * *

Once Heero landed their shuttle inside the Aventinus, he quickly shut everything down before getting out of his seat. Moving to Trowa, he noticed that Trowa was breathing heavily. His skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and his face was pale. Heero took off his spacesuit, throwing it to the side before helping Trowa out of his. The shirt Serena had used a tourniquet was covered in blood.

Heero tried to shake the thoughts running through his head. He needed to get Trowa to the sick bay. Helping Trowa to his feet, they walked carefully to the shuttle's door. Once the hatch was open, Heero spotted Sally, along with a team were waiting for them at the end of the ramp.

"Bring him down here." Sally called out as she got the stretcher ready.

"I'm not going to the sick bay." Trowa said. Heero turned his head sharply to him. "I wanna see her." Trowa dropped his head, fighting the dizziness that was starting to overcome him. "I know Une is watching the battle."

"You need medical attention." Heero said sternly as he continued to move them slowly down the ramp.

"And I need her." Trowa shot back. "But that's not going to happen. I'm going to watch even if I have to drag myself to the bridge myself." They had stopped at the bottom of the ramp, Heero eyeing Trowa carefully. He was in pain but he was also determined to watch Serena. Heero was at a lost on what to do. Neither of them noticed that Sally had moved to stand next to them.

"Trowa you need to lie down."

"Take me to the bridge." Trowa said as he turned his head towards Sally.

"Trowa you're bleeding, we don't even know if the bullet is still in your arm or not."

"Take me to the bridge." Trowa repeated, but this time in a low threatening tone. Heero knew it was an empty threat and against his better judgment he nodded his head. Sally could start treatment on him and hopefully stop the bleeding, even if Trowa was only able to stay for a few minutes before they brought him to the medical facility aboard the ship. Maybe it would be enough to pacify him.

"Let's go." Heero said, adjusting his arm around Trowa's waist to better accommodate his weight.

"Heero you can't be serious?" Sally said gawking at him. "He needs treatment, _now_!"

"You can start treating him when we get there. Does Une have the battle up on the monitors?"

"Yes, we've been watching since before you got here." Sally looked to her team who were slightly confused. Sighing she knew all of this was a bad idea. "Get supplies and meet us in the command center." The small group of Preventers exchanged glances before heading out of the hangar. Sally knew what they were all thinking, but for now all she could do was to help Heero carry Trowa.

* * *

Quatre had been scrambling for hours to re-establish a connection. The whole Colony had gone offline some time ago and it wasn't until he tried to place a phone call that he had noticed. He had been held up in his office all day trying to catch up on some work he had put off when Dorothy and him had gone to Earth for the Charity Ball. He didn't have any meetings scheduled for the day and thought he could manage to everything done until things beyond his control had taken priority.

Dorothy had shown up an hour after everything had happened and been working feverishly alongside him. While her skills weren't has honed in on as his were, he appreciated the help. Dorothy was also the one who brought word that the spaceports had been closed and that no flights were being allowed in or out of the Colony. From what she was able to gather by word of mouth, no one seemed to know what was going on.

"I can't make the call before the signal drops." Dorothy said as she sat back in her chair.

"We need to keep trying Dorothy." Quatre said from over his laptop. "We need to contact Une."

"I know." Dorothy said as she rubbed her temples. She could already feel the start of a terrible headache coming on.

"I have a feeling it's not just our Colony that's experiencing this either." Quatre frowned to himself, more than to Dorothy. "No one has been allowed in or out, then all communication went silent. That and…" Quatre stopped before he said anything else. He wasn't sure but he had a feeling…

"And what?" Dorothy perked up. They had been going over the same information for hours now. They had it narrowed down that the cause was most likely an attack but without them being able to get in touch with Preventers, they weren't able to do much. The agents who were stationed on the Colony had been felt to fend for themselves and with the lack of communication, they weren't even sure if they had found anything out yet.

"It's Serena."

"What about her?" Dorothy quirked an eyebrow at him. They hadn't spoken much about this particular topic since they returned to L4.

"She's close by. Enough for me to feel her." Quatre looked up from his computer. "I don't think she's on L4, but she's close enough." He repeated again. "It's faint but I know she's out there. There's a struggle and at one point I thought I felt Trowa and Heero as well." Shaking his head he looked back at Dorothy.

"You don't think she had anything to do with all of this?" Dorothy gestured around with a flick of her wrist.

"Possibly," Quatre's frown deepening as he continued. "But I don't think she did. I feel like she's in a battle right now. The feeling is similar to when we used to fight in our Gundams…" Then it hit him, everything click into place. The missing piece he couldn't place until now.

"Quatre?" Dorothy watched as his eyes went wide.

"She's in her Gundam." Quatre said, turning back to his laptop. His fingers typing feverously. "We need to contact Une."

"Why would she be in her Gundam? I thought it wasn't completed, unless ROE was able to get every components to a central location?" Quatre snapped his head up towards her. "You think you're the only who can hack into something?" Dorothy stood, making her way over to his desk. "I know the last time you spoke with Trowa he told you that they believe they were trying to finish it, but it was still unknown if it was completed or not."

Quatre didn't responded as he felt something strong pull at him. She was fighting, but the only way to truly confirm it was to contact Preventers. Turning his attention back, he tried one last time to break through whatever was blocking their network. He could deal with Dorothy later about how she had gotten into his personal email and seemed to be updating herself on the goings about his life, instead of just asking him.

With a little luck and a few curses later he was able to pick up an outside signal. And it happened to be coming from the Aventinus. Without a second thought, he made the connection. Hoping someone aboard would be able to help him.

* * *

Serena cursed loudly as she sliced through another MD. More kept coming, seamlessly out of nowhere. Everywhere she turned there was at least five to eight on her. She had moved away from the satellite, hoping to get some distance for now, and also from L3. She didn't realize till she had left the hangar of Ischyrós that they were just outside of the Colony. She could see L2 in the distance as well as L4.

Aventinus was to her left as she spun herself. She knew Heero and Trowa had made it safely. She kept tracking their shuttle, making sure there wasn't any interference with them getting aboard Preventers main ship. Spinning herself again, she sliced through four more Dolls before throwing the thrusters back, trying to give herself some breathing room. She was starting to become cornered and she knew her attacks; if she wasn't careful, could be sent towards one of the Colonies. L3 being her main concern.

"Cornered in space… that's something I've never heard before." She said aloud to herself with a laugh, before wiping the smile off her face. She refocused herself to the task at hand. Her helmet had been discarded some time ago and she had been debating taking off her spacesuit as well. The air temp inside the cockpit was rising and she didn't have the time to play with the controls to adjust it. If she had a chance, she promised herself to rip the suit off her body.

At least then she'd be cooler and it would also allow her a little more movement. She had never been a fan of them. She felt like they restricted her, even though they had been designed to allow the user more freedom while in combat as well as providing the same protection they had always had. But she still couldn't get used to them.

 _So what if I freezed to death like a popsicle? Not to mention the lack of air in space. At least I wouldn't have to worry about this damn suit._

Serena's lips curled up at the corners. She knew she was talking to herself again. This was the only time she ever felt comfortable enough to do so. Kibou never judged her, only listened to her thoughts. She knew even though the ZERO system wasn't activated, it was still continuing to gather data. Too bad this would the last time it ever got the chance to know her innermost thoughts.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Saturday!_

 _I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter to go up. Between spending time with my family last weekend and with the Thanksgiving this past Thursday, (Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I hope you all had a wonderful day!) I finally told my husband that I was going to edit and get this damn chapter up. I'm going to focus this up coming week to get this story fully edited and ready to post. There's not much more and as much as I don't want it to end, I know you guys have been waiting patiently and want to know how it'll all end._

 _Thank you to those who have been following faithful and like I've already said, for being so patient. So we know Quatre is fine, Relena made her way onto the Aventinus. Serena's out in space, she might start to go crazy... I think I would! She might do a lot of deep thinking as well. We'll see more of her battle in the next chapter. Like I said we'll be switching POV's a lot, too many people and too many thoughts and damn opinions hahah. It'll be good though. I'm not going to ramble on this time, so I will leave you for now. I promise to not take as long this time!_

 _Take care and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Also, THANK YOU!_

 _-MM_


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

The Final Battle

Sally and Heero together helped to carry Trowa through the hallways, making their towards the command center. None of them had spoken since they left the hangar. Trowa had winced a couple of times, but for the most part he wasn't showing his true discomforts. Sally kept glancing at him, a deep frown settling on her face each time. Trowa was pale and his bangs were becoming slick with sweat. She was becoming more concerned that he may develop infection before he actually had the chance to bleed to death.

 _Stubborn man._ Sally thought to herself.

Like the others, Trowa would probably die from his injuries before receiving any kind of medical attention. It was one of the biggest things she had fought with them about for the last several years. During the wars they took care of themselves, but times were different now and all they ever had to do was swallow their pride and come see her. They claimed she fussed over them too much or poked and prodded too much. But that was her job to make sure she didn't miss anything as well as make sure she was giving them the best medical treatment she could.

 _But no, they can't ever just make things easy for me. I just hope Trowa's injury isn't as bad as I think it is._

Sally had never been more relieved in her life once they reached the door for the bridge. At least now she could start tending to Trowa, praying he wouldn't die in the process. She still felt like he was out of his mind for wanting to be here, and a little annoyed that Heero didn't have any apprehensions about allowing Trowa watch the battle. Pressing her palm to the panel on the wall, the door sliding open.

Relena was the first to turn away from the screen on the far wall when they walked in. "Heero!" She called out as she started to walk towards him only to stop when her eyes landed on who was with Heero. "Oh my god! Trowa!" Relena's hand flew up to her mouth as her eyes went wide.

"Trowa!?" Duo said, turning his head sharply. "What the fuck are you doing man!? You shouldn't be here!" Everyone had stayed knowing Heero would come after he got Trowa to Sally and her team. That and the fact no one could seem to take their eyes away from the battle being waged between Serena and the MD's.

Trowa turned up the corner of his lips as they walked by. Heero and Sally bring him to one of the empty chairs resting against the wall on the far left side of the room. They deposited him on the soat seat before Sally set to work removing the shirt that had been tied around his shoulder and arm. Still hoping the damage wasn't too bad and that maybe it had stopped bleeding.

"Barton, you need to go to the medical bay before you…" Une started to say before Trowa cut her off.

"I'm staying." Trowa said as strongly as he could. Lifting his chin as his bangs stuck to his forehead. "I'm staying right here." His eyes flicked towards the screen. Kibou was circling a group of dolls before moving in to eliminate them. No matter how much pain he was in, or how lightheaded he was feeling, he wasn't going anywhere. If he couldn't be out there with Serena, he was going to make damn sure he watched her. It was the only support he could offer.

Heero moved away from Trowa, making his way over to Relena. "Relena," he murmured softly. "What are you doing here?" He reached his hand up to touch her face. He had been angry but after seeing her in person, the anger dissipated.

"After I spoke with Duo, I went straight to HQ. From there…" She trailed off looking at Trowa. She felt fingers under her chin, bringing her eyes back to Heero. "They got Serena's message, so I went with them. I wasn't going to stand around waiting for answers." Heero frowned before nodding his head. He didn't have the strength to argue with her, nor did he want to. She was safe and safer with them than she would've been on Earth. Wrapping his arm around her he pulled her to his chest. Holding her tightly. Her mere presence alone was enough to comfort him. Maybe he needed her strength and guidance once again to get through this.

Une glanced around the room. She had people working still to re-establish communication with the Colonies, as well as people monitoring the battle Serena was currently in. Sally and her team were tending to Trowa whose eyes were locked on the monitors ahead. Heero was holding Relena as they continued to watch. Duo along with Wufei were quiet and also monitoring the battle. In a little over twelve hours, everything had changed. And there was still the unknown of what was to come. Sighing she turned her attention back to the battle. Everyone was doing everything they could and it seemed others had their emotions running on high. The room felt tense and she couldn't blame anyone for feeling that way. She was struggling with her own feelings.

Then without warning, a second screen appeared. A gasped was heard throughout the room.

Blond hair and bright blue eyes smiled at everyone. "I'm so happy I was able to get through."

"Quatre!" Duo smiled up at him. "We've been trying to reach you for like, ever!"

"I know. I've been trying to do the same." Quatre's smile faltered. "Everything is down, we can't even get in or out of the Colony because the spaceports are closed."

"What's the status?" Une jumped in. It was the first time they were able to speak with anyone from one of the Colonies, and she didn't want to waste their chance of finding out what was going on with small talk.

"Systems are still down. I somehow managed to pick up your signal, but for how long I'm not sure. I'm just grateful you all are there…" Quatre trailed off.

"What is it Quatre?" Heero dropped his arm from Relena, taking a step forward.

"Trowa." Quatre addressed him, as his eyes landing on his long time friend. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine." Trowa tried to smile, but pain shot through him as Sally started to clean his wound.

"No you're not." Quatre shook his head. He had picked up on Trowa again and he could feel pain radiating from him. As much as he was happy to see him alive and somewhat fine, he knew better that to accept the fake smile he was being given. "It's not just that," he said turning back to address everyone. "Serena… where is she?"

"She's in battle." Wufei said. "Can we send him a visual?" He asked one of the officers sitting close by.

"Give me just a moment sir and I'll connect him."

* * *

Within second Quatre's screen split. The right side of his screen showcasing Serena and a hoard of mobile suits surrounding her. Quatre felt his brow furrow as he stared at the images being sent to him.

"How many suits have you been able to count." He asked.

"Around fifty since we arrived." Une answered.

"How many do you think there are total?"

"Roughly two-hundred and fifty." Heero supplied.

"What!? That's too many for one person to handle!" Quatre swung his eyes over the group. The room had gone quiet as the information sank in. Dorothy had moved to sit on his desk, but she refused to look at the screen.

"Do they have any suits they can use?" Dorothy asked quietly. Quatre shook his head, before a frown settled on his features once again.

"No. Everything was destroyed once ESUN declared mobiles suits to be illegal weapons. Even Preventers had to comply with this new rule." Quatre turned back to his screen in time to see Serena take a violent hit from one of the dolls. A gasp resounding from the Aventinus.

* * *

Duo cringed along with everyone else in the room. One of the MD's flew straight into Serena, hitting her on the backside of her suit. From the looks of it, it took her a moment to recover before she turned around, spraying a shower of bullets at the suit from her mounted machine cannons. Duo would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with her skills. For someone who had never fought in a real battle, Serena was holding her own. If she was around during the wars, there was no doubt in his mind that she would've been a huge aid to them.

Then his eyes went wide as his jaw fell open.

"Whoa! Did you see that!?" Duo said a little too enthusiastically. Serena barreled rolled herself through a group of MD's. The wings of her Gundam tucked in, protecting the cockpit as burst of explosions followed. "That must be those grenades she has attached to the wings!" Duo stared at the screen in awe. He had been curious as to how they would work and Serena's explanation didn't do them justice. She made another pass at another group, but this time she kept the wings spread open. Bits and pieces of the white feathers flying off before exploding.

It was a beautiful scene to watch. At least in Duo's mind.

Serena was using everything she had available to her. All the upgrades she had made to her Gundam; which was hundred and ten percent based off Heero's Wing Zero, seemed to be coming in handy. Even the stealth mode she had equipped her suit with was making the dolls switch tactics whenever she'd disappear and then reappear in a new location. Duo felt a pang of jealousy at seeing her do that. Stealth was one of his specialties. Though a lot of it was due to the fact he never thought of switching it on and off while in battle. He'd usually have it turned on till he was in the heart of a battle, making his first move against an enemy. But Serena had taken it to a whole new level.

The dolls sensors would flash green every time she'd disappeared from their radar system, ceasing their attacks momentary till she turned up again. It was giving her enough time to move away, taking out a few before shutting the system off. Duo wondered if she would be able to continue fighting using the stealth mode, but quickly rectifying the thought. If she did that, then the MD's could possible turn their aggressive attacks on something else. Mainly the Colonies, or the Aventinus.

Heero had briefed them on the virus Serena had running through the mobile dolls, but there was still a chance that it hadn't made it's way through to all of them. If that was the case, there was still the possibility of them attacking something other than Serena or the satellite.

* * *

Heero kept his eyes locked on the monitors. Serena was doing good, but the odds were still stacked against her. Aventinus had moved in closer and their view made the reality of everything that much more serious. The more they zoomed in on Serena the more they were able to see just how much damage her suit had sustained thus far. With the amount of bullets she had taken along with the attacks the mobile dolls were able to inflict with their own beam sabers, there was no doubt in his mind that the Gundam would be riddled with the evidence of battle.

And more suits were still continuing to come for her.

Heero balled his hands at his sides. He could feel Relena next to him, but it did little to ease the fear growing inside of him. He felt useless and it was something he was struggling with. It made him feel weak being unable to do anything from where he stood. If he just had Zero, then maybe he could help her.

He felt Relena take hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt some of the anger dissipate once again, but it wasn't enough. He was angry with himself. Why hadn't he volunteered to take Kibou out? Surely the suit would've accepted him as its pilot, allowing him to fight in place of Serena.

They were one in the same and he was kicking himself for not taking her place. But then he remembered that this wasn't his battle to begin with. Even though he had sworn an oath to protect the world they lived in, he couldn't take away Serena's right to rectify what she believed to be her mistakes. This was her fight, her right to correct the wrongdoings of others and to show not just herself, but to everyone that she believed in the world they had created. A world dedicated to fighting for the hope that one day true peace could still be obtained. For all those who lost their lives fighting to make it a reality. And for all those who still dreamed that it was still possible. Like himself.

* * *

The battle continued to waged on. Une had stopped shouting orders as she focused on the images being projected on the screen. It felt she was on Barge all over again, when she had asked Noin for a favor to relay the battle being fought between Heero and Zechs. Only this time she had no desire to show the world what was really going on. No one needed to know that the possibilities of their peaceful times were in jeopardy.

Quatre had gone back to finding out any new information on what was going on with the communication system on his Colony. Une made sure to keep the connection open for him should he come across anything. He was currently their own inside agent who had access to a working connection. Une's only hope was that there was nothing serious going on inside any of the other Colonies. A few agents on Aventinus were still working hard trying to get in contact with their agency branches stationed on each Colony. But so far no word had come in that they had gotten through to anyone.

She had been going through a list of possibilities in her mind when one of the communication officers called out to her.

"Ma'am!" Une turned her head to the young man who sat a few feet away from where she had been standing.

"What is it?"

"There's a connection trying to be made. I think it's from the Gundam." Une let a frown form on her face for a second before schooling her features.

"Let the connection through!" She yelled at him. Turning back she watched as Serena's face appeared on the screen.

"Don't get any closer." Serena's face was masked, but her eyes were blazing.

"What are you planning to do?" Une asked as she balled her fist at her sides. She had a bad feeling Serena was going to do something reckless and now wasn't the time for something like that.

Serena kept her face impassive as she looked on. Trowa's face paling even more than it had been. He knew what she was thinking even before she said a single word.

"No!" He yelled as he moved to stand. The pain in his shoulder forgotten momentarily. "You can't…"

"I have no choice." Serena's stern but calm response came. "I'm out of options."

"You can't! We can help, just…" Trowa tried to plead with her.

" _No!_ " Serena cut him off. Everyone watched as she closed her eyes gritting her teeth for a moment as a hit from one of the mobile dolls impacted with her. "Just stay back. It's for your own safety."

"Serena don't do this!" Trowa pleaded one last time. Fear starting to build in his chest. Serena softened her voice, relaxing her face as she gave him a soft smile.

"I have to… you know that."

Heero had been standing by quietly observing. He wanted to try and stop her himself. But the longer he looked into her eyes, he questioned his own ability to do so. If Trowa couldn't sway her, how would he? But he did have one question for her.

Heero moved to stand in front of the monitor. Locking eyes with Serena. "Why?"

Serena smiled sadly at Heero. She knew what he was really asking. "Because someone showed me there was _hope_ that I could be more than just a weapon." She moved her hand to the console. Hitting a single key she sealed her fate.

Heero watched in horror as the screen glowed an eerie yellow before going black. Replaced by Kibou once again. Heero's eyes went wide as he swung his head towards Trowa. His own eyes were wide as he stared at the monitors. " _Someone gave me hope."_ Heero knew in that moment that the video J had sent him was real. Serena had fallen in love with Trowa. Turning back, he watched as the Gundam moved faster than it had before. Taking out the mobile dolls with ease. Her speed and precision had more than tripled.

"What's going on?" Relena asked quietly from behind him. Heero never took his eyes off the screen as he answered her question.

"She activated the ZERO System."

* * *

It wasn't an easy decision. Serena had been debating it for while before finally deciding that the ZERO system needed to be activated. She was struggling with amount of suits coming at her. She barely had enough time to breath before she was being attacked again. She just hoped she could control herself with the added effects of the ZERO and the chip fighting for dominance.

Serena pushed the thrusters harder, trying to break away from a group of MD's. She needed enough time to take off her spacesuit. If she was going to give this battle everything she had left, she wanted to at least be comfortable. Unstrapping her harness, she quickly unzipped the suit to her waist. Once she got her arms free she pushed the suit down as far as it would go. Throwing her harness back on she grabbed the controls in time to dodge an incoming attack.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed her beam saber through the dolls center before it had another chance to try it's luck. The explosion glowing on her screens. She focus on the bright colors, momentarily forgetting what she was doing.

" _Destroy any and all obstacles that stand in your way. Spare no life, for they will not spare yours."_

Serena shook her head violently. Her mind was flickering between herself and Delta -the version Edwards had created- reminding her just how much control the chip truly had over her. She felt herself being pulled in two different directions. If she allowed the ZERO system to fully enter her mind, she knew the consequences would be dire. She needed to stay strong; focused on what she needed to do. She wouldn't let the chip win, not this time. Everyone was counting on her. It was her responsibility to fix things, to stop ROE from achieving their ultimate goal. Serena felt foolish for not doing something sooner. Things shouldn't have come to this if she had taken care of the problem years ago.

But one thing she knew all too well was that you couldn't change the past. No matter how much you wished you could.

At one point Serena thought that maybe her virus hadn't worked it's way through to all of the mobile dolls, that there was still be a few stray ones continuing on with their original missions. But it seemed that her reprogramming of their systems had worked. Maybe a little too efficiently. She had been keeping track of how many she had destroyed, until she hit around seventy-five. The number of suits that had started to appear on her radar more than doubled within minutes. Her only guess was that she had taken out all of the one that were from the Ischyrós and one of the other satellites that was close by. The rest must have been coming from the remaining ones as well as the Lunar base.

Her attacks were soon becoming strictly hand to hand. Any long range attacks had been thrown out the window. She had hoped to use what little she had left in her buster rifle to take out any income suits before they got too close. But it soon became clear that this tactic wasn't going work, along with the fact she was getting low on ammo.

Serena cursed to herself when her last shot from her buster rifle missed it's target. ZERO and the chip were still at war with each other, she was trying to stay on top of it but she was slowly starting to lose the fight. She discarded her bustler rifle in favor of the beam saber once again.

" _Fuck!"_ Serena threw it towards one of the MD's as she fly out of the way of another attack. Reaching for the other one she tried powering it on. But like the other one, the power supply was now empty. Checking her what weapons she had left she realized all of her ammo and backup cartridges were gone. There was nothing left.

Thinking fast she knew there was only one thing left she could do. But would they understand?

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Happy Hump Day! I'm back with another chapter, even though we are now one step closer to the end. :( But enough sad faces, lets talk!_

 _Lots of stuff going on this chapter. Though I feel everyone might be on the same page for once. One too many MD's and only one Gundam. This is not looking good and what's worse... Serena's now run out of everything. Any ideas on what she's planning to do? Also there's no way Trowa would honestly make it through the whole battle while bleeding out, but this isn't real life and I say he can. :D NO REGRETS! Heero and Relena's tender moments always puts a smile on my face. It goes to show how much they both need each other for strength. Quatre always making a wonderful entrance and of course he'd be one of the few to figure out a way to reach someone! I sure hope the pilots could accomplish something like this... if not... then they were trained poorly._

 _What else? You'd think I'd remember, but it doesn't help when you write your author notes so late at night! Ah yes, Heero's struggling, that's nothing knew which is another reason why he NEEDS Relena there with him. He'd probably run off and do something stupid. Trowa's probably going to have a heart attack... would that be too much to add in there? Probably, but he's probably going to, or die from lack of medical attention! Duo would be the one to point certain things out and also be highly impressed by something. Une's reflecting on the past while also I think realizing she'd losing all control of some of her agents. *cough* the pilot's themselves, though when have they ever done things the right way? Other than Relena's POV, we haven't also seen Wufei's... you'll all see why in the dun dun dun! Next chapter!_

 _-MM_


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter FIfty-Eight**

Last Resort

"Ma'am! She's is trying to contact to us again!" The communication officer said. After a few moments with no response, he turned his head to address their Commander once again. "Ma'am?"

Une turned her head sharply, glaring at him. "Don't _wait_ for an order! Connect her through to us, dammit!" The officer quickly turned back to his workstation, allowing the connection to be made.

When Serena reappeared on the screen she was visibly shaking, her jaw was clenched as sweat was dripping from her brow. She had taken her space suit off making it easier to see how labored her breathing was. Her chest heaving with each breath she took. "You need to move! You're getting too close!"

"Serena shut down the ZERO system!" Heero yelled as he balled his fists together. He could feel his fingernails digging into his palms. He hadn't meant to yell at her, but even he was struggling to control himself. Pain was all he could see flashing through her eyes. Then he felt panic rise up in his chest.

"I'm out of ammo. My weapon system is depleted." Serena dropped her head as she fought with ZERO and the chip. "I'm… I'm going to send Kibou into the Satellite…" Trying she lifted her head back up. "I may not be able to destroy all of the MD's."

Serena watched as everyone's eyes went wide. Glancing over the control room full of people, people she had come to know in such short amount of time, her eyes landed on one person. He was staring with almost a haze clouding his eyes. She couldn't believe he was still there, he shouldn't be there. Not to witness what was about to happen. Gritting her teeth she pushed back the urge to allow the ZERO system to take control of her.

Closing her eyes, she took in a shaky breath, when she opened them again, she said the only thing she could think of. Hoping he'd forgive her. "I'm sorry…"

The connect was cut as soon as she spoke the words. The room fell silent as everyone watched Kibou raced around the mobile dolls, gathering them into a group before flying towards the satellite.

Trowa felt his breath leave his body as a hole was being ripped opened in his heart. How could she!? How could she… Visions of her consuming his mind's-eye. When she first told him her name. The way it felt when he let it roll off his tongue while her eyes sparkled up at him. To the first time he heard her laugh whole heartedly, it was like music to his ears. Then there was her voice. He loved listening to her speak. The way she accented certain letters, even the way she said his name.

His mind raced as it tried to conjure up every moment they had ever shared. Their first kiss they had ever shared to the first time they made love. Everything washing over him till he pictured her smiling at him. That one smile that made him feel like he was the only one for her. How he could spend the rest of his life staring into those beautiful eyes of hers. Holding her tightly at night while they talked about the future. _Their_ future.

But all of that was being ripped away from him.

He couldn't think anymore. Every fiber in his body screaming at him to go after her, to save her. She couldn't die, she couldn't leave him. He loved her. Wasn't that enough? Was this God's way of punishing him for every sin he had committed?

 _No… no… "Serena!"_

* * *

Serena tried to hold herself together, pushing not just her Gundam but herself. She knew she needed to hold on just a little longer. With her trembling hands she pushed the controls for the throttle, sending the thrusters to their limits as she sent herself and Kibou racing towards the satellite.

She needed to fight, to fight for him. This was all she could do to stop the war before it truly started. Dying wouldn't hurt, it'd be over within seconds. But the pain she felt in her heart hurt more than anything she had ever felt before. Lifting her hand, she hit a few keys on the console. If anything, maybe he'd find some closure. Turning her back to her screens, she saw red dots flashing everywhere as well as her new target. Her breath caught in her throat as memories came flooding back to her.

The first time she had met everyone. The conversations she had been privileged to have with them. She had known them even before they had ever met her, but it never stopped them from talking to her. In her wildest of dreams she never thought she'd ever have the chance, the opportunity to speak with these people, and yet she had.

And now they all held a special place within her heart.

Duo had been her jokester. From the first time she met him till the last time they spoke. He had continued to stay in touch with her, sending her message throughout the day. Checking in to see how she was doing, even down to random things that he had learned or found out about people whom he worked with. There was also the occasional message about him pissing off Heero. They had formed their own bond in a way. While she didn't always understand his humor, she did laugh every now and then. He was a troublemaker and he certainly knew how to keep Heero on his toes. Qualities she admired in him.

Relena had called her every day till she had disappeared. When she returned, Relena would check in on her, but she never pushed her into spending an hour on the phone like they used to. They'd talk about everything and anything. Relena had done most of the talking, but she never minded lending her ears to the other woman. She understood why Heero cared for Relena so deeply. She was intelligent, kind and caring. Passionate about her work and those who were close to her. She liked to think that they had grown close, even though they had only known each other for short amount of time. She had even hoped that one day they could've spent more time together.

Quatre she had only met once, and while they hadn't really spoken, she knew that he had figured out more about her in those few hours than maybe anyone else had. But that was something she knew about him. That he'd read into her every move, every thought even when she didn't voice them. There was a possibility they could've become friends. He was after all Trowa's best friend. It would never be based solely on that aspect, but because it was in Quatre's nature to be kind and sympathetic. Even though she didn't want his sympathy, but knowing what she did about him, she could appreciate him skills not just as a pilot, but also as an engineer as well.

Wufei had been the one to surprise her the most. After their sparring match, there seemed to be a mutual understanding. A certain level of respect for one another. They hadn't spoken much in the beginning but once she had revealed her Gundam's to everyone, something had sparked his interests. She figured out of any of them that Duo would've been the one asking for a redesign, but it wasn't Duo who had contacted her. Wufei had been emailing her, asking her if she were to rebuild Shenlong, what would she have added or removed from the previous designs. How Heero never found out had amazed her. But then again, they all were talented when it came to keeping certain things hidden from prying eyes.

Then her thoughts shifted to Heero. He had been the hardest to convince she was worth the risk. She never blamed him for it, even when she was frustrated with him for not understanding. They were too much alike. Their way of thinking was too similar. But maybe that was because of how they were trained… or the fact she modeled herself to be just like him. To think the way he did, to understand the art of war the way he did. The only thing she had ever truly wanted was to understand him better, to know who he truly was. She was made from him after all and she could never deny that small connection she had to him.

She knew she'd miss him, even when he was being obnoxious with his constant check in's, and phone calls. But she wouldn't have changed it. She had gotten to meet him, learn more about him and he in returned got to met her. While they didn't always see eye to eye, she knew deep down that they had made a connection. As screwed up as their relationship was, she was grateful for him. He didn't have to help her, to take her all the way to L1 to see J. He didn't have to see her daily or call to make sure she was getting better. He never had to do any of it, but had… because he cared. Even though he had never come out and said it to her, she knew just from looking into his eyes.

Serena closed hers, fighting back the tears. She was going to miss them all. But most of all, she was going to miss Trowa.

Relena had once told her that when she first met Heero, she didn't realize what it all meant to her. She had wanted to know more about him, and had succeeded in doing so. But it wasn't until she started to truly understand her feelings for him that she realized what it was. Love at first sight. It was a term Serena didn't fully understand, but she wondered if that was what Trowa thought about her and their relationship. He had been by her side since the very first day. Out of all of them, he had spent the most time with her. Got to know her, not just because he had to, but because he wanted to. She had told him things she had never shared with anyone. Finding that she could be carefree around him, as if she could truly be herself without having to worry.

Duo had told her that people find love in mysterious ways, was this what he was referring to? Trowa had fallen in love with her, something she never meant to happen. He wasn't supposed to, she wasn't supposed to. But they had… She needed him. He was a breath of fresh air in her life. Showing her not everything in this world was so terrible, that there was still something good, something worth holding on to. He was the reason she needed to do this, to protect the world he lived in. That they all lived in. They each had their responsibilities and this was hers.

A tear escaped past her lashes wetting her cheek. Closing her eyes she gripped the controls tighter. With one last thought of her own she allowed the ZERO system to consume her. Trowa's smile fading to black as the rest of the world disappeared around her.

* * *

Heero never looked away when Serena sent herself racing towards the satellite. The impact showing in a bright glow on screen as the mobile dolls followed suit, adding to the now burning satellite.

 _"Serena!"_

Heero didn't even know who had yelled her name or if it was himself. He felt something grip at his chest. A twisting, almost sickening feeling as he stared the screen. Within seconds he had made up his mind. Turning swiftly, he headed for the door.

Une had been shouting orders at everyone. "Keep us locked on the satellite! Keep heading towards it! Get people out there and take out any remaining mobile dolls and search for her!"

Relena watched as Heero ran past her, fear evident on his face. He never once turned to look at her. She saw Duo run to Trowa, saying something before he too took off. Wufei had been standing near her with his head bowed and eyes closed. When Relena turned to look at him, he was giving the monitor one final look before he turned on his heel, leaving the control room.

Relena slowly turned her head, watching the chaos continue. Sally was yelling at people to try and stop Trowa from getting up. Relena could hear him yelling that he had to go, that he needed to save her...

Relena felt the water droplets hit her hands. Looking down she hadn't realized she had moved them or that she she was shaking. Then she felt the tears flowing down her cheeks as she continued to stare at her hands. Slowly she lifted her eyes back up to the screen. Watching as the satellite was slowly being destroyed.

* * *

Quatre had been on the phone doing damage control with the Preventers branch on L4. They were able to re-establish all forms of communication while also apprehending some of the members from ROE who had been on the Colony. They weren't able to get everyone who were involved with shutting down the system. A shuttle had taken off shortly before Preventers were able to get to the spaceport. It seemed whoever was on board knew things weren't going in their favor and decided the best course of action was to leave before they were arrested. Those who weren't able to make it out we're currently in custody and waiting to be transferred once Quatre was able to speak with Une.

He was hoping the other Colonies were able to regain control, but as far as they knew, no one had been able to contact anyone from the other branches. A few agents had come to his office to speak with him. Quatre had informed them that he made contact with the Aventinus. Leaving out that there was currently a battle being waged between L2 and L3. He had stepped away from his computer, making sure the two agents weren't able to see anything playing on the screen. It wasn't long after he received a called from the agency's branch director.

Quatre was finishing up the phone call when he felt sharp pain coursed through his chest. Taking in a shaky breath he moved quickly back to his computer. Turning the it so he could see the screen. All he saw was a bright yellowish orange glow of light. Gripping his chest with one hand, he could only stare at the screen horrified by the images.

"No…" Quatre whispered. "She can't be…"

* * *

Heero didn't think, he just ran. He needed to get to a shuttle and get out there. If Serena was going to survive he needed to get to her and get to her fast. Once in the hangar he took the first shuttle he could find. Inside he went straight to the cockpit, checking everything over and trying frantically to get the shuttle up and running. He never heard anyone else enter till he saw Duo sit down in the copilot's chair.

"What are you doing Maxwell?" Heero growled

"Coming with you, isn't that obvious?" Duo said as he started to help, his fingers flying over the controls.

"Why?" Heero only received glare from Duo before he turned his attention back getting the shuttle ready.

"Because you're not the only one who cares about her, you know." Duo didn't bother to look at Heero this time.

"What?" Heero stopped, turning his head back to Duo.

"Maxwell's right. You're not the only who doesn't want to see her die out there." Wufei said as he took the seat behind Heero.

Turning his head he looked at Wufei. "You too?"

Wufei nodded, "we need to move, her chances of surviving are fading the longer we sit here."

Heero stared at Wufei for a moment longer before turning towards Duo, who nodded his agreement. "Ready."

Heero tighten his eyes as he nodded back. "Let's go."

* * *

Their search had turned up empty handed. After hours of looking through the deberie Une had radioed for them to come back to the Aventinus. Heero had fought to stay longer but ultimately he gave in and had Duo pilot them back. He didn't want to stop looking, something was telling him she was still out there, somewhere.

Once they returned to the Aventinus, Duo, Heero and Wufei started to make their way back to the command center. As they were approaching the hallway that would lead them there, they saw Relena running towards them. They stopped, waiting as Relena came to stand in front of them.

"Did… did you find her?" Relena's voice wavered. Dried tear streaks ran down her face. No one said anything as the three men in front of her dropped their gazes. Relena tried to fight back a sob. She needed to tell them about Trowa. "Trowa collapsed shortly after you left…" She choked out as new tears springing to her eyes.

"Is he okay?" Duo turned his gaze back to Relena.

"Sally rushed him to the medbay. He lost a lot of blood and the fact he made it through the battle..." Relena shook her head trying to not let the memory back into her mind. "Sally said it was a miracle he didn't collapse then. He's been resting since his surgery, but he hasn't woken up yet…" Relena clutched her hands to her chest.

"We should go see him…" Heero took a few steps towards her. Reaching out he grabbed one of her hands away from her chest. Relena nodded to him, turning herself so she could interlock their fingers together before they started walking. Duo and Wufei following close behind.

No one said a word as they made their way to the sick bay. Heero never letting go of Relena's hand as they entered Trowa's room. He needed her strength even if he couldn't admit it. Relena had squeezed his hand a few times while they were walking. She squeezed it again as they came to stand next to the bed where Trowa lay prone. Some color had returned to his face and his shoulder was bandaged with a heavy layer of gaze.

"Sally said he'll be fine, he just needs to rest…" Relena turned sorrowful eyes to Heero before looking to Duo and Wufei. Each were looking at Trowa from where they stood.

Duo tried not to think about things too much. He was glad Trowa was going to be fine, but his thoughts went back to Serena. He wasn't sure he wanted to be there when Trowa woke up to find out they couldn't find her. He had told him that he wouldn't stop till they did. Duo caught Relena's eye as she looked at him briefly before turning to look back at Trowa. Duo glanced to his side where Wufei stood. His head was bowed and Duo didn't doubt that all of this was weighing on his mind as well.

* * *

Trowa felt burning first before he felt the pain in his shoulder. Slowly opening his eyes, he took in the white ceiling, the machine near him beeping in time with his heart. He knew he was laying down, but how he had got there he couldn't remember.

"You're awake." Came the soft voice to his right.

Trowa snapped his head to the side. His eyes widen as he shot straight up. Cringing from the pain as he did so. Serena sat in a chair, her hair pulled into the messy bun she wore around the apartment. The torn jeans she loved so much and the white off-the shoulder shirt he loved her in. She was smiling warmling at him.

"Serena?" Trowa kept his eyes on her. Then it came back to him. Her sending herself and her Gundam into the Satellite. "How… how did you make it out? You're not hurt are hurt?"

Trowa watched as the smile faded from her face. She stood up from the chair moving to sit on the bed with him. "What do you think?"

Trowa shook his head, he didn't understand where she was going with the question. "You're right here, so you must of made it out… but how?"

Serena reached a hand up to touch his face. "The world can be a cruel, but sometimes we need to make the best of things."

"What?"

Serena smiled sadly at him. "Trowa you need to wake up." Trowa could only stare at her. What did she mean by wake up? He was awake. "Your friends are waiting to see you." Serena leaned closer to him.

Trowa eyes widen for a moment, was he dreaming? "What if I don't. What if I stay here with you?" He reached his hand up to touch her face, as she closed her eyes leaning into his touch.

"You can't. You need to go back." Serena opened her deep blue eyes. "Maybe you'll see me again… sometime, somewhere."

Trowa was about to protest when she leaned in kissing him. Shutting his eyes he savored her lips on his before the contact was broken. "Don't go…" he whispered.

Serena smiled sadly at him again. "We'll see each other again. But you need to wake up now." Trowa felt her hand drop from his face as she pulled away from him. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Then slowly everything around him grew dark. The smiling image of her face fading into nothing.

* * *

Duo and Wufei had left Trowa's room, finding a quiet place to sit while they waited for news from Sally. Heero and Relena has gone off on their own and neither of them had asked where.

"So you really cared about her?" Duo asked after a while. They hadn't said anything to each other since they sat down and he had been wondering why Wufei had come with them to look for Serena.

"I have respect for her." Wufei said keeping his eyes shut. His arms still crossed over his chest.

"Didn't realize how much of a softy you were." Duo snickered. Wufei's eyes snapped opened as he stood from his chair, dropping his arms to his sides.

"Serena is Heero's sister whether they want to admit it or not. Because of that we have an obligation not just to her, but to him as well. Leaving her out there was never an option. If we could've, we would've went out there before she decided to sacrifice her life." Wufei hardened eyes as he continued. "Lowell was intelligent, strong willed and used her training to her advantage. She never had to inform us of ROE, nor did she have to aid us in anyway, shape or form. She didn't have to run into the Capitol building to protect Darlian, but she did. While her way of going about things wasn't always the smartest, she still went out there and fought for the very foundation we've all worked so hard to create and achieve. And because of that, I refuse to let her sacrifice go in vain."

Duo could only gape up at him. Wufei wasn't one to share his personal opinion so openingly about someone he actually liked, but looking into his eyes, Duo knew that every word he said was the truth.

"We should go check on Barton." Wufei said as he turned away.

"Yeah… we probably should…" Duo stood slowly. Shoving his hands in his pockets he followed after Wufei. It seemed that Serena's presence had forever changed them in some way. However short her time was with them, he knew that she'd be missed by all of them.

* * *

Everyone had regrouped in Trowa's room. It seemed a short break hadn't helped their moods but at least they were together supporting one another.

They had been standing around the bed where Trowa lay when they saw the slightest of movements from him. Holding their breaths they watched as slowly he started to open his eyes. Before anyone could do anything Trowa shot up, looking around the room frantically.

Relena dropped Heero's hand as she moved to stop Trowa from doing any more damage. Placing her hands on his good shoulder, she tried to ease him back down.

"Where is she?" Trowa turned pleading eyes to her.

Relena tried to hide the fresh tears that started to gather in her eyes. She turned her head to the side, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Trowa looked around the room when Relena turned her head away from him. Heero stood rigid with his head bowed, his bangs falling into his eyes. Duo had done the same and Wufei as well.

"Where's Serena!?" Trowa asked. Panic evident in his voice.

"Trowa…" Duo lifted his head to look his friend in the eyes, remorse filling his own. "We couldn't find her… we tried, for hours… I'm sorry."

No one said anything else. Trowa had turned his head away from Duo. The words slowly sinking in. Relena held his hand as the tears fell from her eyes onto her cheeks. Then Heero lifted his head. Taking a step closer to Trowa, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I won't stop looking for her. We will find her." Trowa turned his head up to Heero. Resolve written in his eyes… the same blue as hers.

"Here…" Duo said quietly as he handed Trowa a cellphone.

"What is this?" Trowa asked looking at the phone.

"It was Serena's phone… there's something on there for you." Duo kept his tone light.

"How do you know?" Trowa wasn't sure how to take the news.

"I may of watched some of the video. But as soon as I realized it was for you I shut it off." Trowa was looking at him with a questioning look once again. "I forgot I had grabbed her phone and it's been in my pocket. Just watch the video."

Trowa nodded his head before turning the phone on. It was unlocked and for some reason he felt Serena had done that on purpose. He looked through the phone for only a moment before he found the only video file it contained. Opening it he hit the play button.

Serena was seated in the cockpit of her Gundam. Her gaze wasn't on the screen but she was looking at something off to the side. Taking a deep breath she turned her eyes to the screen, a faint smile on her face.

 _"Trowa, if you're viewing this, it means I didn't survive... I know you have some questions and unfortunately they'll go unanswered. I just wanted…"_ She trailed off taking a deep breath.

 _"I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I didn't mean to hurt you and I hope you can forgive me for that. I knew if I had told you what I planned on doing, you'd only try and stop me. And I couldn't allow that… I couldn't allow you or anyone else to get hurt."_ Shaking her head she turned away for a moment before returning her eyes to the screen once again. Her eyes shone with what looked to be tears.

 _"You said something to me that no one has ever said before. I hope you know that I took those words and held onto them because now I realize what they mean. I've always had a hard time understanding love and what it means, but I feel like I understand it undeniably when I'm in your arms."_ Her gaze lowered. A sad smile on her face.

 _"If this is what love feels like, then I can only hope you'll find someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved. And just know…"_ Serena looked up again. A genuine smile on her face. _"That I appreciate everything you have ever shown me. Goodbye, Trowa."_

The video faded to black as Trowa stared at the screen. He knew everyone was looking at him. They had all heard the words she had spoken. The things she had said to him. Serena may not have come right out and said it, but she had said enough to convince him that she did truly love him in return. A love he may never have again.

* * *

 _A/N Happy Sunday Funday!_

 _While this was a sad chapter, I'm going to make it worse... there is only one chapter left and that will be posted on Wednesday. I know there's a lot to discuss but I'm going to keep my note short as this chapter is long. We're any of you surprised by anything? I wish I had dove more into Wufei's head, but he will be a character I will explore more as I continue to write stories. I hope you all enjoyed his little speech :-D._

 _I will see you all again on Wednesday and please make sure you read my author note... *wink wink*_

 _-MM_


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter** **Fifty-Nine**

Never Give Up Hope

It had been five months since Serena had vanished from their lives. She had left a mystery behind, puzzling everyone into wondering if she had survived or not. More agents had been sent back out to gather what remains were left from the satellite as well as any mobile suits that hadn't been destroyed during the explosion. They weren't able to gather much, only bits and pieces of Kibou were recovered, but the cockpit had remained missing. Une had asked a special team of scientist assigned to the agency to try and see if there was any possible way Serena could've survived. The general opinion among them was that the suit's cockpit was most likely destroyed upon impact with. If she had made it out alive; even though the chances were slim, she would've been severely injured and would've need medical attention right away. If that was the case, then she would have succumb to her injuries. But why weren't they able to recover her body like they had for so many others?

Heero tried to contact J once they had arrived back on Earth. Heero had hoped that if anything, J might have possibly known something they didn't. When Heero couldn't get the connection to go through, he suspected that J most likely fled after he had contacted them about Serena's plans. It had been a tough pill to swallow, but they knew they needed to continue to keep on looking. It wasn't just the five of them working together to try and find her. Other's had pulled their resources to help as well. Trowa could only hope that if Serena knew just how much everyone cared that maybe she'd return to them. But he was slowly starting to come to terms with the idea that he may never see her again.

Trowa's shoulder had healed and after a month and a half of recovering, Sally cleared him to return to work full time. Even while being back in his office, he still continued to search for Serena. They had all tried at one point or another.

Quatre: even though he hadn't known Serena on a personal level had stepped in to help in any way he could. Using contacts he had gained over the years, he did his best to have people on the lookout for a woman matching Serena's description. Unfortunately that lead to a large amount of false leads and slowly Quatre had drop the search on his end. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, but he had promised if he heard anything that he would contact one of them right away.

Une had been the first to break the news that Preventers would no longer be funding the search. After a few weeks they couldn't spare any more resources and since Serena wasn't employed by the agency, there wasn't much more she could do to help. She did however allow them to continue their search, but only on their own personal time. They all agreed to keep forging ahead, but as the weeks grew on their hopes of finding her were fading.

They all had been influenced by Serena in some way. Even Wufei couldn't escape from making a connection with her. He had a great deal of respect for her and had admired some of her qualities. Duo had once said that he liked Serena better than Heero, because for the most part, she actually put up with him. Trowa knew Duo would miss Serena. Duo had admitted to talking to Serena almost daily while she was stay with him. Something Trowa hadn't expected to hear, but a part of him wasn't surprised either. He knew Relena called her at least once a day, not mention the many of text messages that were exchanged between them, or the others for that matter. Trowa had been curious to read through her phone, but never did.

The girl's had struggled with the news. Relena and Dorothy were the only two who had known what had happened till Duo informed Hilde. Trowa ended up telling Catherine after she showed up randomly at Preventers, where he was kept under observation. Sally had been fearful that he'd wind up with an infection, even against his protest that he was fine. Sally didn't to care and had made it a point to remind him daily till Catherine took him home a week later. Catherina never did tell him who had called her, but he had a suspicion as to who it was and wondered if he should've thanked the person for doing it.

Hilde and Catherine's reactions both the same. Both had cried opening about losing Serena and while Hilde took comfort in Duo, Catherine had begged Trowa to find her. But as the weeks went on she slowly backed off. Instead turning to try and comfort himself while he struggled with everything.

Dorothy and Relena had dived in to help look for Serena as well. Using whatever resources were available to them. Relena was forced to stop early due to work, and had agreed to allow Dorothy to take over her half, but even with Dorothy's questionable contacts, she wasn't able to turn up any leads.

Relena had and still was heartbroken over the news. She had grown close to Serena. It was never a surprise to anyone as Relena easily befriended those she felt a strong connection to. Especially since Serena was Heero in some ways. Relena and her had connected on such a level that even Heero couldn't understand. Serena's personality was completely different from his, as far as he saw it. But that was never how Relena viewed it. Serena was kind and gently, much like Heero, and Relena had admired her strength much like she admired Heero's. Serena viewed the world differently than Heero when it came to somethings, but what had sealed the deal for Relena was the fact that Serena could be open about her feelings when they talked. Relena had always seen the good in Serena. From the very first day she had met the other woman till the very end. It had taken Relena some time to bounce back to her normal self, though like the rest of them, she also still carried the sadness one feels at the loss of losing someone close to them.

Dorothy had tried to hide her feelings, but when Trowa had spoken to Quatre, the truth was that Dorothy was handling it just as hard as the rest of them. She was upset, but she was also determined to keep searching for Serena. It had been strange to hear considering Dorothy and Serena were rivals in some way. So why would she care so much? Quatre had told him that he wasn't even sure, but maybe when they had visited them, Dorothy had seen something in Serena that made her change her mind.

Then there was Heero and Trowa. It was hard to say who had taken it the hardest between them. Heero and Trowa had both dove head first into the search. They had busied themselves, throwing all their energy and time into finding her. Heero had barely slept for weeks on end. Much like Trowa, but from what everyone was to see, Heero hadn't been handling any of it well.

Every dead end made him angrier, to the point where others had started to stay away from him. Relena thought maybe he was angry with himself for not going after her, or because he simply couldn't find her. Whatever the reason, Relena had given him space till he had finally given in. He didn't want to admit that even he couldn't find her, but reality had slowly come down on him. Relena did her best to comfort him and slowly he seemed like he was getting better. Heero had been becoming more acceptable of the idea that Serena was gone. Whatever Heero and Serena had spoken about in the past had remained with him up until the last two weeks. Heero seemed to be doing even better and it was something Trowa couldn't figure out. His only guess was that Heero had come to terms with everything and was ready to let go.

But he wasn't.

Trowa had tried to keep himself busy with work and when he was home, he tried to keep his mind busy. He hadn't moved any of her things out of his room nor did he spend any real time in there anymore. When Catherine had stayed with him for the first two weeks after he had been released from hospital, he ended up sleeping on the couch and had continued to since returning to his apartment. He had tried the first few nights, but the sheets still held her scent and after a few restless nights he had given up and moved to the couch. Catherine had washed everything for him, but he still couldn't bring himself to sleep in his room at night. He knew eventually he'd need to remove her belongings, even though that meant letting go. But he couldn't let go just yet. He thought if kept her things, that maybe there was still a chance she'd come back. The dream of her being in his room when he had awoken on the Aventinus, had replayed itself over and over. Night after night, just like it had the night before.

Trowa checked his watch as he walked through the parking garage. It was just after nine in the morning. Heero had asked him if he could take Relena into work that morning because he needed to be at the office early. Trowa hadn't question him as to why nor did he mind helping with the small favor. Relena and him had a good relationship with one another, so it was never an issue when he assigned to her detail. He enjoyed working alongside her and had appreciated their friendship. Especially after Serena.

As he entered the building, making his way towards the elevators, he saw Heero standing just off to the side. His arms were crossed over his chest and there was an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yuy." Trowa said as he approached him.

"Barton." Heero nodded his head in greeting. "Did Relena make it to work on time?"

"Yeah, she also said something about a lunch date later?" Trowa said. Lifting a brow to emphasizing the question. Heero chuckled as he uncrossed his arm, moving towards the elevators.

"Yeah, she won't let me forget about it."

They continued to chat ideally as they rode up to their floor. Which reports were due before the end of the week and whether or not Duo and Wufei would survive being together on a trip to one of the other facilities. When they reached their floor, they stepped off the elevator ready to part ways for the better half of the day when Heero stopped to stand in the middle of the hallway.

"One more thing, Barton." Heero said as he eyed the other man carefully. "There's someone waiting in your office. They asked to speak to you personally."

Trowa didn't get the chance to ask who it was before Heero turned on his heel, heading down the hallway. Trowa never saw the smile playing on Heero's lips as he walked away. Shrugging it off Trowa started heading towards his own office. Wondering who would possibly want to speak with him.

When he reached his office door, he stood with his hand hovering over the doorknob. He needed a moment to collect himself. Taking a breath he turned the handle.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Trowa said as he shut the door behind him. When he looked up, he found a woman with short dark brown hair. Soft waves that reached just past her shoulders. She had on a simple white dress, or a simply as one could be. The dress seemed to hug her curves before flowing out at the waist and stopping just above her knees. As his eyes continued to travel down, he noticed that she was wearing a paid of nude heels and he in that moment, Trowa concluded that she didn't belong being in a place like Preventers. Much less standing in _his_ office.

Then he noticed she was playing with the name plate.

"So tell me…"

Trowa's breath caught in his throat. He'd recognize _that_ voice anywhere. His eyes grew wide as he watched her slowly turn her head to look at him from over her shoulder.

"Is Trowa Barton your _real_ name? Or just the name you go by?" Midnight blue eyes shone with amusement while the corners of her lips turning up.

Trowa slowly exhaled, relaxing his body as he took in the sight of her. A smile forming on his own lips. "Is Serena Lowell your _real_ name?"

"Touché." Serena said as she turned fully to face him. The sparkle still gleaming in her eyes as she smiled back at him.

 _ **The End**_

 _Or is it?_

* * *

 _A/N Happy Hump Day!_

 _Well... that's it. The end of TC has finally come and to be honest, I've been sitting on this last chapter all day. To post it means it's truly over and I just wasn't ready. But all good things must come to end... or do they? ;-)_

 _I want to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed and spent some time talking to me one of one. You guys are amazing and thank you for joining me on this adventure. Words could never express the gratitude I have for all of you. I would also like to personally thank Relena for President and Scarlet Eve for believing in me as well as letting me consult different ideas with them. You ladies are amazing and I thank you once again for all the guidance you have given me._

 _Now let's get into the good stuff. The conversation between Serena and Trowa -if you noticed- was from the very first conversation they ever had. :-D I'm a big ol sap and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use it again. So yes, there was heartbreak but how could I possibly kill Serena off? I couldn't leave Trowa all depressed and without his love!  
_

 _Which brings me my big announcement. As you may have seen, this story isn't over just yet! I've been slowly working on a sequel. There's still some unanswered questions that I feel will be answered in the sequel. But fair warning, things are going to get darker. There will still be romance, especially with Heero and Relena being engaged. Hint hint, a wedding? Babies? But there will also be heartache once again. Lots of it. All of our favorite characters will be returning along with a few new ones. I don't have an exact idea of when I'll start posting it, but it will probably be some time in the the new year. I'm going to take some time to revise TC so if you see that I've "posted a new chapter" I didn't. I need to break up a few chapters but nothing will be changed as far as the story goes. But also with it being the holiday season, I will be busy and won't have as much time to deticate to working in the sequel. So just keep your eyes open for it! Or you can just follow me and be notified when I do. :D_

 _Once again, thank you to all of you! Even my lurkers, you guys have been amazing and I hope you will continue to read my stories! Until we meet again..._

 _-MM_


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